Greetings from Montgomery, as I write this article after a long day in the State House. This week reminded me that one of my biggest responsibilities as a legislator is to protect the children and families of Alabama. Week three saw several bills pass the Alabama House of Representatives that are aimed at keeping our children safe from those who would do them harm.
The Alabama House unanimously approved legislation on Tuesday that permanently prohibits individuals convicted of certain sex crimes against children from ever being considered for a pardon. This was an easy vote and the right thing to do to keep these depraved felons behind bars where they belong. A second bill, the “Sound of Freedom” Act, was also awarded passage on Tuesday. The law would impose a minimum sentence of life imprisonment for those convicted of human trafficking of a minor within Alabama. Again, I was proud to support this bill as it will be one of the strictest anti-trafficking laws in the country, if enacted.
Staying on the same topic, I am happy to report that one of my bills that I’m carrying passed through the House with unanimous support. ‘’The Alabama Child Protection Act,” amends current law to treat AI-generated child pornography the same way we treat other forms of child pornography. This will remove the defense some criminals use that their depictions are not of a real person. This bill, if it becomes law, will be one of the strongest in the country related to child sexual abuse materials and I am proud to have carried this bill through the House. With the rapid development of technology and the rise of deepfake videos, it’s important that we update our statutes to keep our children safe.
Of course, the big topic in the news has been the recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court related to Alabama’s Manslaughter of a Minor statute and the civil liability exposure to IVF clinics in Alabama. Since the ruling was released, I have been contacted by numerous families with questions about what the ruling means for them and their loved ones and what the legislature will do in response to the IVF ruling. I can assure you that the legislature is working diligently to resolve this situation quickly and remove any cause for an IVF clinic to not resume treatments. The consensus among my colleagues is that we must give Alabama families every opportunity to experience the miracle of life, and IVF is an important option that must be protected. I expect that by the time you read this, multiple bills will have been filed and will be making their way through the legislative process. My hope is that we can move quickly so IVF clinics will feel free to return to normal operations as soon as possible, without the threat of lawsuits hanging over them.
This session is moving quickly, and I continue to work on several bills and budget requests for Walker County. I appreciate the honor of representing Walker County and look forward to many more positive developments as the session unfolds.
Until next week…
Representative Matt Woods represents Alabama State House District 13, which covers parts of Walker County. You can contact him at [email protected].
