SCOTUS

Republicans in Alabama chose Justice Sarah Stewart on Super Tuesday as their nominee to lead the state Supreme Court, after the justices vaulted into the national spotlight last month for their decision to recognize frozen embryos as children.

Alabama lawmakers are moving fast to approve measures this week to protect invitro fertilization clinics from lawsuits in response to an uproar sparked by last month's state Supreme Court ruling that found frozen embryos have the rights of children under the state's wrongful death law.

Alabama lawmakers, who face public pressure to get invitro fertilization services restarted, are nearing approval of immunity legislation to shield providers from the fall out of a court ruling that equated frozen embryos to children.

The race for Alabama's 2nd Congressional District, which was redrawn by a federal court to boost the voting power of Black voters, has sparked congested and competitive primary contests. Democrats see an opportunity to flip the Deep South congressional seat in November. Republicans aim to keep hold of the seat.

Groups representing Alabama doctors and hospitals urged the state Supreme Court on Friday to revisit a decision equating frozen embryos to children, saying the ruling is blocking fertility treatments and harming the medical community.

This Associated Press analysis focuses on Alabama’s Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos are “children,” and how this and other legal decision are creating heightened focus on upcoming races for these judges nationally.

Alabama lawmakers rushed to protect in vitro fertilization services after fertility clinics shut down in the wake of a state court ruling that frozen embryos are children under the state wrongful death law. Critics on the Democratic side say the bills failed to address the main controversy.

The Alabama Republican party is still doing damage control following a controversial ruling by the State’s Supreme Court. The justices declared that fertilized embryos are children. That generated a media frenzy that left GOP lawmakers struggling with what to say next. The Republicans are already dealing with the fallout from the end of the Roe Versus Wade decision that legalized abortion. The ruling has politicians picking their words carefully…

The fallout continues over the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos are “children.” Demonstrators took to the picket line to protest the ruling and its impact on parents seeking to have children through invitro fertilization.

Tomorrow, APR news director Pat Duggins looks at the political messaging tangle created by the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos are “children.” Then, there’s where the ruling “hits home.”