"Alabama's ivf ruling, why it happened, Who did it, and will access be protected?"--Aphrodite Avidon, Seventh Grade
What Happened?
On February 16, Alabama Chief Justice Tom Parker, ruled that embryos in test tubes are to be considered children. The case started after a fertility clinic in Mobile, AL had improperly removed embryos from a cryogenic freezer, and the embryos were dropped. The couple in which the embryos belonged to sued the fertility clinic, and the Mobile Circuit court ruled in favor of the defendant.
The case was eventually taken to the state supreme court, and with a verdict of 8-1, it was declared that the embryo dropping was covered by the state’s wrongful death of a minor act. Justices Jay Mitchell and Tom Parker wrote statements on the ruling. Parker’s statement cited the Bible as its main source, quoting Jeremiah, Genesis, and the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill”, as well as citing Alabama’s 2022 abortion practice.
“Even before birth, all humans have the image of God,” said Chief Justice Parker at a press conference following the ruling.
Soon after, Alabama fertility clinics halted IVF treatments, and protests started, with protesters going to the U.S. Capital and the Alabama State House, saying things like “I'm here because of IVF,” and criticizing Republican lawmakers for taking away reproductive freedom rights.
Who is Tom Parker?
Tom Parker, Alabama Chief Justice grew up in Montgomery, Alabama in the 50’s, and went on to go to Dartmouth and graduate cum laude from Vanderbilt Law School. Parker is a Christian Nationalist and a member of the Tea Party movement (a conservative and libertarian populist political group). He has publicly distributed confederate flags, for which he was condemned by the Southern Poverty Law Center. He was also criticized for attending a birthday party for Nathan Bedford Forrest, founder of the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group located in the southern United States.
Impacts & Reactions
Many political commentators have declared that the ruling, as well as the 2022 Dobbs decision, will be a major factor in deciding the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. This is the first Presidential election since the overturning of Roe V. Wade.
At a rally in Rock Hill, SC, former president Donald Trump said, “I strongly support IVF for couples who want to have a precious little beautiful baby.” Many republican officials including Alabama governor Kay Ivey agree with Trump, but some officials like Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R, MS) have voted to block the bill to protect IVF rights brought to the Senate by Senator Tammy Duckworth. (D, IL).
Former U.N. Ambassador and recently withdrawn presidential candidate Nikki Haley, while confessing that her son was born using IVF, said “To me, embryos are babies,” which accordingly stated her views that life begins at conception.
Clinics halted treatments soon after the ruling.
In Alabama, the average cost of an IVF with fees and medications can range anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000, with an average success rate of 80%.
“Traveling is such an extra expense, and arranging lodging and transportation could add $10,000 on top of the already pricy costs,” Jordan Karnes, Oakland School for the Arts Literary Arts Chair, someone familiar with the case, said in response to needs of out-of-state travel to continue IVF procedures.
Overturning
The state house and senate passed a bipartisan bill that was quickly signed into law by governor Kay Ivey on March 6th Fertility treatments were confirmed to have restarted at Alabama Fertility, the state’s largest clinic. President Biden confirmed that IVF would be protected, and Senator Tim Kaine (D, VA) invited the first American born via IVF to Biden’s State of the Union Speech.
On February 16, Alabama Chief Justice Tom Parker, ruled that embryos in test tubes are to be considered children. The case started after a fertility clinic in Mobile, AL had improperly removed embryos from a cryogenic freezer, and the embryos were dropped. The couple in which the embryos belonged to sued the fertility clinic, and the Mobile Circuit court ruled in favor of the defendant.
The case was eventually taken to the state supreme court, and with a verdict of 8-1, it was declared that the embryo dropping was covered by the state’s wrongful death of a minor act. Justices Jay Mitchell and Tom Parker wrote statements on the ruling. Parker’s statement cited the Bible as its main source, quoting Jeremiah, Genesis, and the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill”, as well as citing Alabama’s 2022 abortion practice.
“Even before birth, all humans have the image of God,” said Chief Justice Parker at a press conference following the ruling.
Soon after, Alabama fertility clinics halted IVF treatments, and protests started, with protesters going to the U.S. Capital and the Alabama State House, saying things like “I'm here because of IVF,” and criticizing Republican lawmakers for taking away reproductive freedom rights.
Who is Tom Parker?
Tom Parker, Alabama Chief Justice grew up in Montgomery, Alabama in the 50’s, and went on to go to Dartmouth and graduate cum laude from Vanderbilt Law School. Parker is a Christian Nationalist and a member of the Tea Party movement (a conservative and libertarian populist political group). He has publicly distributed confederate flags, for which he was condemned by the Southern Poverty Law Center. He was also criticized for attending a birthday party for Nathan Bedford Forrest, founder of the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group located in the southern United States.
Impacts & Reactions
Many political commentators have declared that the ruling, as well as the 2022 Dobbs decision, will be a major factor in deciding the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. This is the first Presidential election since the overturning of Roe V. Wade.
At a rally in Rock Hill, SC, former president Donald Trump said, “I strongly support IVF for couples who want to have a precious little beautiful baby.” Many republican officials including Alabama governor Kay Ivey agree with Trump, but some officials like Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R, MS) have voted to block the bill to protect IVF rights brought to the Senate by Senator Tammy Duckworth. (D, IL).
Former U.N. Ambassador and recently withdrawn presidential candidate Nikki Haley, while confessing that her son was born using IVF, said “To me, embryos are babies,” which accordingly stated her views that life begins at conception.
Clinics halted treatments soon after the ruling.
In Alabama, the average cost of an IVF with fees and medications can range anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000, with an average success rate of 80%.
“Traveling is such an extra expense, and arranging lodging and transportation could add $10,000 on top of the already pricy costs,” Jordan Karnes, Oakland School for the Arts Literary Arts Chair, someone familiar with the case, said in response to needs of out-of-state travel to continue IVF procedures.
Overturning
The state house and senate passed a bipartisan bill that was quickly signed into law by governor Kay Ivey on March 6th Fertility treatments were confirmed to have restarted at Alabama Fertility, the state’s largest clinic. President Biden confirmed that IVF would be protected, and Senator Tim Kaine (D, VA) invited the first American born via IVF to Biden’s State of the Union Speech.
