Donald Williamson

MONTGOMERY - State Health Officer Donald Williamson knows he's caught between a rock and a hard place over a proposed abortion information booklet that he has to deliver to clinics by Oct. 14. "I'm absolutely certain what we produce will probably be criticized by people on both sides," Williamson, head of the Alabama Department of Public Health, said last week. Williamson said he is caught between Alabama's abortion clinic providers who believe that organized groups opposed to abortion want to put roadblocks between women and abortions and people who oppose abortions and whose goal is to close clinics and outlaw abortions. Gloria Gray, director and co-owner of the West Alabama Women's Center in Tuscaloosa, decried a public meeting last week over the booklet with Williamson, abortion providers and abortion opponents.
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"These are not intended to capture all the issues that need to be addressed," Williamson said. The law was the culmination of a 12-year effort by groups such as the Christian Coalition, the Eagle Forum, Alabama Citizens for Life and Alabama Physicians for Life. Abortion opponents want the booklet to contain easy-to-read information but also want information about the physical dangers and potential psychological trauma from abortions even years later.
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"The department's mission is not to publish a book to promote abortion or suppress abortion," Williamson said."The department's mission is to provide unambiguous accurate information about abortion alternatives." Although individuals in his department "have opinions about abortion," Williamson said, "we're only going to publish factual information the law requires." The Rev. James Henderson, pastor at Emmanuel Charismatic Episcopal Church in Somerville, said he wants other information included.He said a reputable study in Finland showed higher post-abortion side effects, including trauma and suicide, than U.S. studies. He also said pregnant woman should know - and the booklet should say - that an unborn baby feels pain from the abortion. But Williamson said he'll only use information from the United States. There was disagreement whether the department should include birth control information in the booklet.Those opposed to abortions said it wasn't the government's role to distribute birth control information. But Williamson seems to have made up his mind."I cannot imagine the Department of Public Health not speaking about birth control," Williamson said. The board of public health is scheduled to meet Sept. 18 to adopt emergency administrative rules to regulate abortion clinics and allow the department to disseminate the booklet that has to be in the abortion clinics by Oct. 14. "Or there can be no legal abortions," Williamson said. That gives the department four months, until the end of December, to adopt permanent rules to regulate abortion clinics. The new law is an unfunded mandate for the Department of Public Health that was given no money to publish the books that will be sold to the abortion clinics for $5 each.

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Donald Williamson - Pastor