Editorial: Abortion ban shouldn’t block needed medical care

Louisiana is considered among the most anti-abortion states in the nation, so there was little suspense over what would happen should the U.S. Supreme Court reverse its landmark Roe v. Wade ruling and allow states to impose their own restrictions. A near-total ban on the procedure, signed by the late Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco, was already on the books when a draft of the court decision was leaked a year ago; even so, lawmakers rushed to pass new legislation in anticipation of the reversal that would soon come. 

We’re now seeing, from reporting here and in other states that have outlawed abortion, the real-world implications of the Louisiana approach: Either the laws themselves or fear of prosecution against medical providers can keep some women from getting the medical care they need for miscarriages and nonviable pregnancies, not only compounding the heartbreak of these situations but putting women’s lives in danger. We also worry that threats against doctors and other providers for doing their jobs could drive many out of state, thus exacerbating challenges to health care access.

We don’t believe this is something most voters in our state support. And we urge lawmakers to pass several proposed laws to ensure that women have access to vital health care when — and as quickly — as they need it.

Several bills on the subject are scheduled to go before the House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice Wednesday:

House Bill 522 by Rep. Aimee Adatto Freeman, D-New Orleans, would require one physician signature to deem a pregnancy “medically futile,” rather than the current two — a difficult standard in underserved areas.

It would also delete the chilling possibility of a prison sentence for anyone who performs an abortion, a position supported by 59% of Louisiana voters in a recent poll taken by JMC Analytics for Lift Louisiana. Freeman’s bill would leave potential fines on the books.

House Bill 461 by Rep. Mary DuBuisson, R-Slidell, would clarify that miscarriages do not fall under the abortion ban.

House Bill 598 by Rep. Candace Newell, D-New Orleans, is another medical clarification. It specifies that nonviable ectopic pregnancies can be treated using the drug methotrexate, which keeps a fetus from growing, without violating the abortion ban.

Also on the committee agenda are two bills that would add rape and incest exceptions to the state’s abortion ban, House Bill 346 by Rep. Delisha Boyd, D-New Orleans, and House Bill 549 by Rep. Cedric Glover, D-Shreveport. We support this change — as does Gov. John Bel Edwards, a longstanding abortion opponent — and believe it’s in line with mainstream conservative thought on how the state should approach these tragic situations. The JMC poll found 70% support for this position.

None of these bills would change the main substance of the abortion ban. What they would do is ensure that pregnant Louisianans be treated as safely and humanely as possible when they find themselves facing some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable.

We hope lawmakers on all sides of the larger abortion debate think of them before casting their votes.