For immediate release: 5/12/2023
Contact: Heidi Miller, (she/her), Development Manager, Yellowhammer Fund
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
STATEMENT FROM YELLOWHAMMER FUND ON HB454
Alabama lawmakers went back on their own word and introduced a bill in the AL House that would allow prosecution and imprisonment of those seeking legal abortions, self-managing their abortions, and even those managing their miscarriages and stillbirths.
Yellowhammer Fund’s Executive Director Jenice Fountain (she/her) had the following response: “We saw this coming. HB454 would make it a homicide to terminate a pregnancy. It would still be a HOMICIDE if the pregnancy was not viable. This is specifically to punish the pregnant person. We have to look at this from every angle. This is an attack on Reproductive Agency AND we also have to examine the ways in which this state funnels people into a carceral system. People wanted so desperately to rest in ‘only the provider would be punished’ despite folks SCREAMING that this would be next. How do we keep our people safe?”
One way you can help keep Alabamians safe is by signing our nationwide petition to let AL lawmakers know that you do NOT support putting people in jail for seeking abortion care. We need to show anti-abortion extremists that they do NOT represent us!
Direct link to Yellowhammer Fund’s petition (anyone in the U.S. can sign on): https://action.yellowhammerfund.org/a/al-hb454-2023
STATEMENT FROM WEST ALABAMA WOMEN’S CENTER ON HB454
“The reality is that HB 454 just codifies into law what we all already knew was the end result of banning abortions – that any pregnancy that doesn’t produce a live birth has the potential to land the pregnant person in jail.
We saw this coming when Etowah County jails illegally detained pregnant people who they believed used marijuana after conceiving. It was reaffirmed by the Attorney General when he suggested those who self-managed abortions could be charged with chemical endangerment. This bill confirms a long line of stances from the state of Alabama harking back to Amanda Kimborough’s arrest for using meth while pregnant in 2008, or Marshae Jones’s indictment for manslaughter after getting shot in the stomach and losing her pregnancy at five months. HB 454 will put pregnant people in jail – those seeking abortions, but also those who just have the misfortune to have had a bad pregnancy outcome and being poor, Black or otherwise in a situation where they are most vulnerable to the racist and classist medical and police systems in our state.
Whether this law passes or fails, West Alabama Women’s Center knows that marginalized communities will still face surveillance and potential arrest, and will remain here to provide medical care without the threat of an investigation.” – Robin Marty, (she/her), Operations Director, West Alabama Women’s Center
STATEMENT FROM URGE ON ALABAMA HOUSE INTRODUCING LEGISLATION TO PROSECUTE ABORTION AS MURDER
This week, the Alabama House of Representatives introduced HB454, a bill which would allow the state to prosecute people who receive an abortion with murder. Previously, Alabama law only prosecuted doctors who performed the procedure, but now, extremists lawmakers are furthering their attacks on reproductive freedoms.
In response, Austin Roark (they/them), AL Policy & Movement Building Director at URGE: Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity, said:
“Criminalizing people for seeking the health care options they need is unjust and unacceptable. Reproductive care is a fundamental right, and we should be focusing on securing bodily autonomy for everyone — not taking it away. Introduced by extremist lawmakers, this horrifying attempt to charge people who have abortions with homicide is an egregious overstep by the government and another tactic to control people’s bodies and livelihoods.”
STATEMENT FROM ALABAMA VALUES PROGRESS ON HB454
“Hb 454 is an outrageous infringement upon birthing people’s reproductive rights and a dangerous attack on their healthcare.
Abortion is an essential component of healthcare services that allows birthing people to make autonomous decisions about their bodies and reproductive futures.
If hb454 becomes law, it would legally mandate that someone be charged with murder for having a miscarriage. This is not only medically inaccurate but also cruel and unjust. The consequences of HB454 would be far-reaching and devastating. It would perpetuate a culture of fear and stigma around women’s reproductive health, discouraging them from seeking the vital healthcare services they need. Hb454 undermines the principles of compassion, empathy, and respect for human rights that should guide our society.” -Anneshia Hardy, (she/her), Executive Director, Alabama Values Progress
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For more information or to reach out for an interview, please contact Heidi Miller (she/her), Development Manager, Yellowhammer Fund at [email protected] or by calling or texting (205) 719-2562.
About Yellowhammer Fund:
Yellowhammer Fund is an abortion advocacy and Reproductive Justice organization serving Alabama, Mississippi, and the Deep South. Learn more at www.yellowhammerfund.org
About URGE AL:
URGE is a Reproductive Justice organization engaging young people and centering People of Color and LGBTQ+ folks in the South and Midwest. Learn more at www.urge.org. Contact: [email protected]
About West Alabama Women’s Center:
West Alabama Women’s Center provides reproductive health services without stigma or shame in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Learn more at www.alreprohealth.com
About Alabama Values Progress:
Alabama Values Progress is a media advocacy organization working to disrupt the cycle of misinformation and counter disinformation to raise awareness and increase transparency around Alabama politics. Learn more at www.alabamavaluesprogress.org