How Alabama IVF ruling could cause political chaos for the GOP

Republicans are facing another political headache in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, this time involving in vitro fertilization procedures, that could spell disaster for the party heading into the 2024 election.

The latest hurdle comes out of Alabama after the state Supreme Court ruled last week that frozen embryos are legally children and that the destruction of embryos constitutes a crime under the state’s “wrongful death of a minor” law. 

Following the ruling, the University of Alabama at Birmingham health system announced it was halting its IVF procedures immediately over fear of lawsuits and prosecutions. It is the largest hospital in the state and the eighth-largest in the nation. Other healthcare providers in Alabama are likely to follow suit.