Alabama governor signs near-total abortion ban

Less than a day after Alabama’s Senate passed a bill that would ban almost all abortions in the state, Gov. Kay Ivey signed it into law late yesterday. Under the law, which is the most restrictive in the country, physicians who perform abortions can be charged with a felony and punished with up to 99 years in prison. The only exception is when there’s a serious threat to the mother’s life. An intense debate unfolded in the state Senate Tuesday night as Democratic lawmakers unsuccessfully attempted to include another exception for rape and incest cases. Abortion rights advocates, including Planned Parenthood, have vowed to take legal action.