MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Two bills aimed at further restricting abortions failed to come up for debate in the Alabama Legislature Thursday, hurting their chances of passing as only four days remain in the 2012 legislative session.
The bills would establish new rules for abortion clinics and would allow doctors to not perform a medical procedure if it violates his conscience.
The two bills were on the House work agenda Thursday, but were delayed because of debate on other issues, particularly by a heated debate over a bill to raise court fees. But Democratic legislatures had used delaying tactics throughout the day to delays votes on several issues including the abortion bills.
The sponsor of both bills, Republican Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin of Pelham, said it's a "long shot" that the bills can pass in the session's waning days. Tuesday is the final day a bill has to pass the House if it has not yet passed the Senate.
The bills are not on the work agenda for Tuesday, but McClukin said she has not given up.
"I'd love to find a ways to get it on the calendar," McClurkin said.
McClurkin said she believes the bills are needed.
"We are trying to bring up health and safety standards at those clinics and treat them like ambulatory care clinics," McClurkin said.
Allison Neal, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, said Friday she was pleased that what she called "bad bills" did not pass. But she said she knows the Republican majority in the Legislature will keep trying to pass the abortion bills.
"We've probably dodged the bullet this year, but they'll be back," Neal said.
House Majority Leader Micky Hammon of Decatur blamed the bills not passing Thursday on the Democrats' delaying tactics. He said House Republicans were willing to stay as long as it took to pass the bills.
"The Democrat's filibuster of this bill is the height of hypocrisy. This is a true women's health bill that could prevent a bad situation from becoming even worse," Hammon said of the bill establishing more regulations for abortion providers. .