Alabama senators got into a shouting match Thursday after Republicans suddenly stripped exceptions for rape and incest from a near-total ban on abortion in the state without allowing a roll call vote.

Democrats acknowledged that Republicans had the votes to strip the exceptions, but after angrily denouncing the sudden move, a full vote that had been planned for Thursday was rescheduled to next week.

"I didn't even hear the motion even come out of the senator's mouth before the lieutenant governor started gaveling it through," Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, a Democrat, told reporters at a press conference. "He rushed it before the man even get the motion out his mouth."

Alabama senators were expected to vote on HB 314, a bill that would make it a felony for a doctor to perform or attempt an abortion, unless a woman's health was at "serious" risk. Otherwise, they could face up to 99 years in prison.

Before the amendment was hurriedly approved Thursday, the only other instances when an abortion could be done would have been when pregnancies were the result of rape or incest.




In a statement released Thursday, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth brushed aside criticism that he rushed the motion through and stressed that the bill would not only have an impact in Alabama, but it was intended to tackle the issue of abortion on a national scale by overturning Roe v. Wade.

"Abortion is murder," Alabama's lieutenant governor said in a statement. "Now that President Donald Trump has supercharged the effort to remake the federal court system by appointing conservative jurists who will strictly interpret the Constitution, I feel confident that the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn Roe and finally correct its 46-year-old mistake."

Republican Gov. Kay Ivey has not commented publicly on the bill, but is expected to support it.

With Democrats holding only eight seats in the Senate, the bill is expected to easily pass. Even so, the Senate ground to a halt Thursday when Republican Sen. Clyde Chambliss moved to table the rape and incest amendments, a committee amendment that under the rules of the legislature is not debatable.

Three senators are required to raise their hands to spark a roll call vote, meaning each member of the legislature would cast a vote on the exceptions. However, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth quickly gaveled through the motion, prompting Singleton to raise his hand and object.

"Heck no!" Singleton yelled as he hit the lectern with his hand. "He did not make a motion! He did not make a motion!"

"He made a motion to table," Ainsworth responded.