Alabama IVF clinics reopen after Gov. Ivey signs bill granting legal protections to providers



Alabama Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed a bill into law on Wednesday that grants legal protections to in-vitro fertilization providers, prompting some clinics to reopen.

Several IVF providers, including that state's largest hospital, halted services last month after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos have the same rights as "unborn children." The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit involving three couples who accused their IVF provider of wrongful death after a wandering hospital patient allegedly destroyed their frozen embryos.

The state supreme court's ruling sparked fears about the future of IVF services, leading clinics to pause treatments over concerns that staff could face criminal charges or damages.

Last week, Alabama lawmakers passed Senate Bill 159 and House Bill 237, Republican-proposed legislation granting legal protections to IVF clinics. On Wednesday, both chambers moved quickly to pass a unified version of the bills, sending the legislation to Ivey's desk for a signature.

The House approved the bill in an 81-12 vote, and the Senate voted 29-1 to pass the legislation, USA Today reported.

On Wednesday evening, Ivey said, "The overwhelming support of SB (Senate Bill) 159 from the Alabama Legislature proves what we have been saying: Alabama works to foster a culture of life, and that certainly includes IVF."

"I am confident that this legislation will provide the assurances our IVF clinics need and will lead them to resume services immediately," she added.

I have signed SB159, the IVF protections legislation, after it received overwhelming support from the Alabama Legislature. #alpolitics\n\nRead my full statement:
— (@)

Under the new law, IVF providers cannot face criminal prosecution if there is "damage or death of an embryo," but civil lawsuits can still be filed against clinics.

Dr. Mamie McLean with Alabama Fertility stated that the clinic plans to resume treatments on Thursday.

"This means that we will be able to do embryo transfers and hopefully have more pregnancies and babies in the state of Alabama," McLean said.

Many Democrats were displeased with the bill, noting that it failed to clarify whether an embryo created by IVF should be treated as a child. The state's Republican majority rejected a Democratic-proposed bill that stated embryos outside the uterus cannot be deemed unborn children.

Some critics of the legislation have expressed concerns that it provides too much protection to clinics. Attorney Sarah London told USA Today that the new law could create a "potentially dangerous environment for patients."

"It is vital to protect access, but we should not give complete immunity to the fertility industry and wipe out critical protections for women undergoing IVF treatment," London remarked. "When the industry fails to live up to minimum safety standards and the promises made to hopeful parents, we need to ensure there is a pathway to accountability."

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Alabama governor deploys 275 National Guard troops to southern border amid migrant crisis



Alabama Republican Governor Kay Ivey announced Thursday that she would deploy 275 National Guard troops to the United States-Mexico border to help curb the migrant crisis.

In a statement, Ivey declared, “Every state has become a border state under the current policies, and Alabama remains committed to being an integral part of the mission to protect our southern border.”

“The Alabama National Guard always stands ready to protect our citizens, and I thank our 275 troops, as well as their families, for their important service to our country,” she added.

Every state has become a border state under the current policies, and Alabama remains committed to being an integral part of the mission to protect our Southern Border. #alpolitics
— Governor Kay Ivey (@Governor Kay Ivey) 1696536087

In September, Ivey joined 24 other governors, led by Montana Republican Governor Greg Gianforte, in signing a letter to President Biden demanding changes to the administration’s open-border policies.

“The crisis at the southern border extends to every state,” the letter said. “As a result of your policies which incentivize illegal immigration, our states are carrying the burden of both the years-long surge in illegal border crossings and cartels’ coordinated trafficking of drugs and human beings.”

The governors’ letter noted that “states are on the front lines” of the migrant crisis and “working around-the-clock” to provide migrants with shelter space, food, and other aid. They called on the Biden administration to “provide honest, accurate, detailed information on where the migrants admitted at the southern border are being relocated in the United States, in addition to comprehensive data on asylum claim timelines and qualification rates, and successful deportations.”

The governors blamed the administration for 5.8 million illegal crossings and the subsequent strain on states’ public resources.

Last month, over 200,000 migrants illegally crossed into the United States. At least 13 governors have agreed to send law enforcement officers to the border to help with the increase in illegal crossings. In May, Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis deployed 800 National Guardsmen to the United States-Mexico border. California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom also increased the number of troops at the state’s southern border.

Ivey previously sent some troops to the southern border in 2018 to assist the Texas National Guard and Border Patrol, Fox News Digital reported.

Ivey’s recent deployment of troops received praise from the state’s Republican senators, Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt.

Tuberville wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “Alabama is stepping up and doing @JoeBiden’s job for him.”

Britt stated, “When our nation is in crisis, Alabamians will always answer the call of duty. Thanks for your continued leadership, @GovernorKayIvey.”

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Gov. Kay Ivey offers to 'fix' ESPN coverage of Alabama's new law keeping men out of women's sports



Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) ratified a bill Tuesday banning public colleges from permitting men to participate in women's sports and vice versa.

Ivey minced no words, saying, "Look, if you are a biological male, you are not going to be competing in women’s and girls’ sports in Alabama. It’s about fairness, plain and simple."

In their coverage of the ban, mainstream media outlets uniformly evidenced their captivity to LGBT activist speech codes, including USA Today, Fox News, and CNN, referring to the men prospectively banned from women's sports as "transgender women."

One particular write-up on the ban caught the governor's eye.

ESPN tweeted, "Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed legislation on Tuesday that will ban transgender women from playing on female sports teams in college."

The linked article similarly referred to those men now barred from competing in women's sports as "transgender women."

Governor Ivey weighed in on Twitter, retweeting ESPN with a correction.

"Let me fix that, @espn," wrote Ivey.

"Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed legislation on Tuesday that will ban biological MEN from playing on FEMALE sports teams in college."

\u201cLet me fix that, @espn.\n\n*Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed legislation on Tuesday that will ban biological MEN from playing on FEMALE sports teams in college. #alpolitics\u201d
— Kay Ivey (@Kay Ivey) 1685502229

Ivey's tweet was well received and widely circulated on the platform.

Just days after ESPN tweeted about the Alabama bill, the network hoisted the LGBT activist flag above its headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut — a flag that now includes colors representing the gender-dysphoric community.

The flag signaling the network's ideological capitulation does not, however, represent the views of all those at ESPN.

ESPN hosts Sage Steele and Samantha Ponder, both mothers of three children including daughters, have recently spoken out in support of keeping women's sports free of male interlopers.

Alabama's new law will certainly help in that regard.

House Bill 261 notes physical advantages held by men over women relevant to sports, such as "a larger body size with more skeletal mass, a lower percentage of body fat, and greater maximal delivery of anaerobic and aerobic energy than biological females. ... Even at young ages, biological males typically score higher than biological females on cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and speed and agility."

"On average, biological male athletes are bigger, faster, stronger, and more physically powerful than their biological female counterparts," added the legislation. "This results in a significant sports performance gap between the sexes."

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