As soon as Governor Kay Ivey issued a health order on March 27 that required any unnecessary medical surgeries to be postponed, Alabama abortion clinics called up the ACLU and went straight to court to demand they be granted an exemption.
This same scenario has been played out in states all over the country. As governors issue health orders in hopes of curbing the spread of COVID-19, preserving PPE and alleviating the pressure on doctors and nurses in their states, abortion clinics are filing lawsuits, seeking favor from federal judges, and absolutely refusing to comply — citing every time that their procedures should be treated differently.
However, the stubbornness of these clinics is only expanding the Covid Crisis, especially in the state of Alabama. Consider this: Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana have all successfully suspended abortion procedures in their states while Alabama clinics remain open. This means women from these states, especially in Mississippi and Louisiana, will likely travel across state lines where Alabama abortion clinics will happily accommodate them, ignoring the same safety protocols they are ignoring now.
Louisiana poses the greatest risk. New Orleans currently has the “highest number of novel coronavirus deaths per capita of all hard-hit cities.” That includes New York City. As of April 6, the CDC reported more than 13,000 cases in Louisiana alone.
Due to the rapid spread of the virus, some states have actually set up roadblocks for anyone crossing state lines or entering certain towns. Florida, for example, requires any drivers entering from neighboring states to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. Drivers from Louisiana specifically will be fined $600 or risk 60 days in jail if they break the quarantine. According to the CDC, Florida currently has close to 12,000 reported cases.
Alabama, on the other hand, has just under 2,000 cases reported. And while many businesses, employees, and citizens are agreeing to sacrifice to keep these numbers down, Alabama abortion clinics are throwing open their doors and demanding they be exempt from all common sense health orders that threaten their business. They have shown zero concern for the health of Alabama citizens and all concern for their bottom line.
This has been the case with abortion clinics all over the country. Crowded waiting rooms, packed parking lots, even abortionists admitting that they have been exposed to COVID-19 before traveling to other states and performing abortions are all things that have been documented across the nation in the last few weeks.
Keeping abortion clinics open in the state of Alabama only puts more citizens at risk. Remaining open will not curb the spread of the virus, especially with neighboring states already enforcing orders for elective procedures which specifically include abortions. Women from those states will just flock to the nearby states where enforcement isn’t an issue. Currently, Alabama is exactly that state. And, while the Attorney General is defending the March 27th Health Order in court this very week, that defense is before Judge Myron Thompson — a federal judge who has never once in the last decade failed to rule in complete favor of the abortion industry.
What is the Governor’s contingency plan to preserve the life of citizens when pro-abortion Judge Thompson rules against her? How will she avoid creating a whole new health crisis in the waiting rooms of these abortion clinics?
For over a month we have heard the media, the President, celebrities, neighbors and friends all keep repeating the same message: Please stay home. Please put yourself aside for the sake of others. Abortion clinics have shown repeatedly, and in numerous states, that they will never adhere to this advice. They’d rather see every patient who walks into their lobby be exposed to COVID-19 than agree to even one day of canceling abortion appointments. And, if Alabama allows them to stay open, that is exactly what is bound to happen.