Louisiana House passes abortion ban with no rape, incest exceptions

A invoice that may criminalize abortion in Louisiana with no exceptions for rape or incest if the U.S. Supreme Court docket overturns its historic Roe v. Wade determination neared ultimate passage Thursday after clearing the Home on a bipartisan vote.

Senate Invoice 342 by Democratic Monroe Sen. Katrina Jackson builds on Louisiana’s 2006 set off regulation to outlaw abortion if the Supreme Court docket ever reverses Roe, which appears doubtless after a draft determination doing so was leaked in Might.

Jackson’s invoice particularly exempts pregnant girls from prosecution however doubles the 2006 penalties for docs or others who terminate pregnancies to a most $100,000 fantastic and 10 years in jail. It cleared the Home on a 72-25 vote.

Republican Lafayette Rep. Julie Emerson offered Jackson’s invoice within the Home, saying a Roe reversal would instantly “shut the doorways of abortion services.”

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The Home rejected an modification proposed by Democratic Shreveport Rep. Cedric Glover so as to add exemptions for rape and incest on a 37-62 vote.

“If an 11-year-old is raped and turns into pregnant she has to have the infant, which is terribly unhappy to me,” stated Democratic New Orleans Rep. Aimee Freeman, one of many minority of abortion rights advocates within the Legislature.

“This one’s powerful; very powerful,” Emerson stated. “However on the finish of the day the kid is harmless.”

There are exceptions to save lots of the lifetime of the kid or mom or terminate ectopic pregnancies, that are the place the fetus develops exterior the uterus and may’t survive, as effectively for eradicating a deceased child from the womb or eradicating a toddler that may’t dwell exterior the womb.

Emerson stated the invoice would not prohibit contraception — together with “emergency contraception” just like the Plan B tablet — or have an effect on in vitro fertilization.

There are related set off legal guidelines in 22 different states, based on the pro-abortion rights Guttmacher Institute, which implies Louisiana girls must journey as far east as Florida, as far west as New Mexico and as far north as Illinois to have an abortion.

Jackson additionally beforehand authored the modification declaring there is no such thing as a proper to and no funding of abortion within the Louisiana Structure that voters overwhelmingly accredited in 2020.

“My place has been constant all through my life and profession,” Jackson stated in a earlier interview with USA Immediately Community. “I consider all life is valuable and must be protected against womb to tomb.”

Emerson referenced the 2020 modification whereas presenting the invoice, saying, “I consider Louisiana has spoken” on its opposition to abortion. “They have been fairly clear the place they stand,” she stated.

The invoice should return to the Senate for approval of Home amendments earlier than ultimate passage.

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Community of Louisiana. Observe him on Twitter @GregHilburn1