James Henderson abortion clinic

Rev. James Henderson speaks to the media last week outside the Sparkman Drive abortion clinic. (Paul Gattis/pgattis@al.com)

Gov. Robert Bentley on Thursday signed into law a bill that could close two of the most active abortion clinics in Alabama.

The new law prohibits the issuing or renewals of a health center license to facilities within 2,000 feet of a grades K-8 public school where abortions are performed.

Bentley spokeswoman Jennifer Ardis confirmed to AL.com that the governor signed the bill on Thursday morning.

Two of the state's five abortion clinics - in Huntsville and Tuscaloosa - are located within 2,000 feet of schools. Those two clinics accounted for 72 percent of the abortions performed in Alabama in 2014 - the most recent year statistics are available.

Rev. James Henderson has successfully spearheaded efforts to close two abortion clinics in Huntsville through legislation. State Sen. Paul Sanford, R-Huntsville, sponsored the bill Bentley signed on Thursday.

A 2013 law that set more rigorous physical standards for abortion clinics forced the move of the Huntsville clinic to the current Sparkman Drive location from downtown near Huntsville Hospital.

The Sparkman Drive facility in north Huntsville is across the street from Academy for Academics and Arts, a K-8 school.

"We're grateful for the governor and the legislators passing this bill that will definitely save the lives of unborn babies as well as remove this blight from the community across from AAA school."

The law could also have a ripple effect across the country, Henderson said.

"It's a real milestone not only in Alabama but across the country because, to our knowledge, this is the first time this approach has been used," Henderson said. "And now that it's successful in Alabama, we believe it will be a template or pattern for other states in the future to follow with the strong prospect of it holding up in federal court."

The ACLU has vowed to fight the new law in federal court.

"Not only do we feel good about the victory," Henderson said, "but we see this as an opportunity to expose the ACLU for what they are as far as their pattern of standing against basic morality and Christian values."