Alabama Committee Passes Bill to Ban Selling Aborted Babies After Planned Parenthood Scandal

State   |   Sarah Zagorski   |   Aug 6, 2015   |   6:35PM   |   Montgomery, AL

In Alabama, the Senate Finance and Taxation Fund committee voted today to make the sale of aborted babies or fetal parts a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

The Montgomery Advisor reports that the legislation is sponsored by Sen. Bill Hightower (R-Mobile) and was approved by the committee in a 12-1 vote. Sen. Priscilla Dunn (D-Birmingham) was the only legislator on the committee to vote against the bill. She said she couldn’t “see anyone offering or accepting money” for aborted babies.

The committee vote comes after the release of five videos showing Planned Parenthood’s top executives haggling over the price of aborted babies’ body parts. Sen. Hightower said the following about his legislation: “This bill does not have issue of abortion. What it does have is an articulation of the value of life and body parts.”

SIGN THE PETITION! Congress Must Investigate Planned Parenthood for Selling Aborted Baby Parts

Later he added that the Planned Parenthood scandal is shocking and deplorable. He said, “The nation is shocked by videos depicting Planned Parenthood employees callously discussing the dismemberment of babies and the sale of baby body parts for profit. This is like a story out of Nazi Germany. The federal authorities may allow this type of thing, but Alabama won’t – and upon final passage, Alabama will have a law that reflects Alabama’s values.”

If passed, the legislation would make selling or buying aborted babies a Class B Felony, punishable by prison time and a fine of up to $30,000. The CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast, Staci Fox, responded in a statement and said their facilities in Alabama do not operate “donation programs.” Then she said their clinics do offer abortions and some Planned Parenthood facilities allow patients to donate “tissue” to research. Of course, she also argued that Planned Parenthood always follows the “highest ethical and legal standards.”

She said, “In health care, patients sometime want to donate tissue to scientific research that can help lead to medical breakthroughs, such as treatments and cures for serious diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Women who have abortions are no different.”

However, it does not seem like Alabama Governor Robert Bentley is taking her word for it.

Earlier today, he sent Fox a letter notifying her that the state is terminating their agreement with Planned Parenthood of the Southeast. Alabama is the third in the country to defund the abortion giant in light of revelations about their organ harvesting business, following Louisiana and New Hampshire.

SIGN THE PETITION! Congress Must De-Fund Planned Parenthood Immediately

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal was among the first to express outrage over the Planned Parenthood videos and exercise the state’s right to terminate Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid provider agreement. In a statement, he said, “In recent weeks, it has been shocking to see reports of the alleged activities taking place at Planned Parenthood facilities across the country. Planned Parenthood does not represent the values of the people of Louisiana and shows a fundamental disrespect for human life.  It has become clear that this is not an organization that is worthy of receiving public assistance from the state.”

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