Two groups in the USA have filed a challenge to the near-total abortion ban in the state of Alabama. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the group Planned Parenthood, want the law overturned. The ACLU tweeted: "If you attack our constitutional right to reproductive freedom, we will sue." The bill, called the "Human Life Protection Act," bans all abortions in the state, except when there is a serious health risk to the mother. The bill criminalizes abortion and reclassifies it as a crime. Doctors who perform abortions could be imprisoned for up to 99 years.
Passions are high in Alabama. One of the biggest points of disagreement is that the bill contains no exceptions for incest and rape. President Donald Trump said he did not support the ban because of this lack. Alabama's House of Representatives and the state Senate rejected attempts to allow those exceptions. Alabama's governor said life was more important. She said the law was "a powerful testament...that every life is precious and...a sacred gift from God". The groups pushing for the law to be reversed said it was a "manmade public health emergency".