Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement that she is working with state lawmakers on a way to preserve in vitro fertilization programs after a court ruling that prompted several programs in the state to pause their operations.

“Following the ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court, I said that in our state, we work to foster a culture of life,” Ivey said. “This certainly includes some couples hoping and praying to be parents who utilize IVF. Republican colleague in the Legislature Senator Tim Melson, along with Senate and House members, are working on a solution to ensure we protect these families and life itself. I look forward to continue closely following this issue.”

House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, said in a statement he expects lawmakers to consider a bill soon.

“Alabamians strongly believe in protecting the rights of the unborn, but the result of the state Supreme Court ruling denies many couples the opportunity to conceive, which is a direct contradiction,” Ledbetter said. “The Legislature will soon consider a solution that preserves our Alabama values by empowering IVF clinics to continue assisting couples in bringing new life into the world.”

The Alabama Supreme Court ruled Feb. 16 that frozen embryos created through IVF have the same legal standing as children under Alabama law.

The UAB Health System paused IVF procedures after the ruling because of concerns about criminal prosecution and lawsuits. Mobile Infirmary Medical Center and the Alabama Center for Reproductive Medicine in Mobile announced they were pausing their programs Thursday morning.

Alabama House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, and three other Democratic lawmakers introduced a bill Thursday that says “any fertilized human egg or human embryo that exists outside of a human uterus is not considered an unborn child or human being for any purpose under state law.”

Melson, R-Florence, told the Alabama Reflector on Thursday that he would file a bill to protect IVF procedures.

Read more: Women getting IVF in Alabama say window closing on getting pregnant: ‘I’m terrified.’

Protecting ‘life’ and IVF clinics after Alabama ruling ‘not mutually exclusive’: Britt