Pro-life leaders have sent a letter to Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, calling on her to protect the millions of lives that are created via in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and veto legislation that would grant legal immunity to IVF providers in the state.
The legislation (SB 159/HB 237) stems from a state Supreme Court ruling which recognized that embryos created via IVF are to be treated as human children under the state’s wrongful death statute. State lawmakers quickly responded by passing legislation that would effectively protect IVF and give IVF doctors, clinics, and participants legal immunity. Such legislation would effectively remove all protections granted to the preborn children who exist as embryos.
In response, Live Action founder and president Lila Rose and a coalition of 12 other pro-life leaders have sent a letter calling on Ivey to protect her state’s most vulnerable preborn children. Other signees include including Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life; Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote; Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America; and Jeanne F. Mancini, president of March for Life Action, among others. The signees point out that embryos created via IVF are fully human and therefore should be granted the same protections as other humans, noting that the term ’embryo’ only denotes a stage in development:
It is an indisputable scientific fact that human life begins at the moment of conception. The moment of fertilization, when an individual human zygote is formed, marks the starting point of each human being’s life. The embryonic period is simply one stage of development in the life of a human being–just like the fetal, childhood, adolescent, and adult stages of life.
A child in the embryonic stage of development is of incalculable value to his or her family, and though young, is not of any less worth to their parents than a child at three months in the womb, nine months in the womb, or after the very moment of birth. Both science and logic have made it clear that embryos must be accorded the same human rights and level of dignity that all other human beings — at every developmental stage of life — are granted.
They go on to note that the Alabama legislation was passed hastily and without due consideration for the families who may be impacted, and the preborn lives that may be lost. They write: “If signed, this sweeping legislation would slam the door on any protections for the most vulnerable of Alabamans, prevent families from seeking justice for the death or harm caused to their children, and leave a trail of destructive moral implications in its wake.”
The letter signees end with an urging for Ivey to protect preborn lives. “We urge you to veto this legislation as a too hasty reaction to a troubling situation,” the coalition writes. “While we understand and share the legislators’ concern for families struggling with infertility, this unjust measure will ultimately harm these families and jeopardize the lives of precious children… We call on you to stand opposed to this legislation and lead with courage on an issue that holds such moral gravity.”
