Louisiana
Louisiana House removes murder charge from abortion bill
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana ladies who’ve abortions won’t be topic to homicide or different felony expenses after legislators revamped an abortion invoice Thursday night time.
The controversial invoice would have ventured farther towards abortion than lawmakers’ efforts in another state. It will have made ladies who finish their pregnancies topic to felony murder prosecutions.
The invoice by Republican Rep. Danny McCormick unleashed rising opposition from conventional supporters of abortion rights and longtime foes of authorized abortion. McCormick abruptly ended debate on the invoice and returned it to the Home calendar after the modification handed 65-26. The invoice seems unlikely for passage except McCormick decides to try to revive it.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows beneath.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana’s Home of Representatives, venturing farther towards abortion than lawmakers in another state, is debating a invoice to make ladies who finish their pregnancies topic to felony murder prosecutions.
Republican Rep. Danny McCormick pushed for a Home flooring debate on his invoice Thursday afternoon regardless of a crescendo of opposition from conventional supporters of abortion rights and longtime foes of authorized abortion. Louisiana’s anti-abortion governor mentioned he’d veto it, and Louisiana Proper to Life and the Louisiana Convention of Catholic Bishops are towards it.
“To counsel {that a} lady can be jailed for an abortion is just absurd,” Gov. John Bel Edwards, a religious Catholic and a Democrat who has lengthy damaged along with his celebration on the abortion difficulty, mentioned in a information launch Wednesday.
“Our longstanding coverage is that abortion-vulnerable ladies shouldn’t be handled as criminals,” Louisiana Proper to Life mentioned in a press release.
The Catholic bishops mentioned they’re “unequivocally” against the invoice. And the Nationwide Proper to Life Committee on Thursday issued an “open letter to the nation’s state legislators” that did not point out the Louisiana invoice particularly, however mentioned “any measure searching for to criminalize or punish ladies will not be pro-life and we stand firmly against such efforts.”
McCormick disagrees, saying a lady who has an abortion must be in the identical authorized place as a lady who takes the life of a kid after start. “Once I give equal safety to the unborn, that is the likelihood,” he mentioned in a Wednesday night cellphone interview.
The Home had not but began debating the controversial abortion laws when the constructing was briefly evacuated Thursday after the speaker interrupted proceedings and mentioned an unknown, unclaimed bundle had been discovered within the capitol’s Memorial Corridor — the cavernous gathering space between the Home and the Senate Chambers.
It got here on a day when laws was already transferring slowly as lawmakers tried to discover a compromise on McCormick’s invoice. The Home recessed for greater than an hour whereas lawmakers broke into teams behind closed doorways to debate the laws.
Pending on the time was a brand new modification by Rep. Alan Seabaugh. The Shreveport Republican is an anti-abortion stalwart. However his modification would fully revamp McCormick’s invoice, eliminating the felony penalties for ladies, permitting abortion to save lots of the lifetime of a pregnant lady and okaying using contraceptives.
McCormick’s invoice has drawn intense scrutiny in gentle of final week’s leak of a draft of a U.S. Supreme Courtroom opinion indicating the excessive court docket is making ready to overturn selections upholding a constitutional proper to abortion.
There’s no indication but that lawmakers in different states are taking over comparable laws. In Idaho, Republican state Rep. Heather Scott has proposed prosecuting ladies who get abortions, however a committee chairman mentioned Friday he wouldn’t enable it. “There are nonetheless affordable individuals within the Legislature who’re going to make sure that excessive payments like that aren’t going to get a listening to,” Rep. Brent Crane mentioned.
“In my committee, I’m not going to listen to that invoice that places a lady on trial for homicide. For those who’ll take that portion of the invoice out, should you’ll put the physician on trial for homicide … then we are able to discuss having a listening to in your invoice,” Crane mentioned on Idaho Public Tv.
McCormick launched his invoice in March in an try to finish abortion no matter what any court docket does.
Along with rewriting murder statutes to incorporate abortion, it declares that any federal legislation, regulation or court docket ruling that permits abortion is void and that any choose who blocks enforcement of the invoice’s provisions could possibly be impeached.
Edwards known as the invoice “patently unconstitutional.”
He joined critics of the invoice saying it criminalizes some varieties of contraception and elements of the in vitro fertilization course of. McCormick on Thursday mentioned types of contraception that do not destroy a fertilized egg wouldn’t be affected. And he disputes that the invoice would newly criminalize some facets of in vitro fertilization, pointing to state legislation that already grants rights to an “in vitro fertilized human ovum.”
Anti-abortion laws normally passes simply in Louisiana’s Legislature however the emphatic opposition from some anti-abortion stalwarts may bolster makes an attempt to derail the measure or closely amend it.
Louisiana already has legal guidelines on the books criminalizing abortion, together with a “set off legislation” making certain that will probably be a criminal offense if the Supreme Courtroom reverses the Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 ruling establishing abortion rights. The statutes seem to exempt ladies from prosecution, though some abortion rights advocates have recommended they want tightening.
McCormick mentioned the present legal guidelines are insufficient to present fetuses equal safety underneath legislation. “It is a debate we have to have in Louisiana,” he mentioned. “There are good individuals on either side of the talk.”
___
Related Press author Holly Ramer contributed to this report from Harmony, New Hampshire.
Copyright 2022 The Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials is probably not revealed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed with out permission.
Louisiana
Why did Marshall opt out of bowl game? Explaining Louisiana Tech’s Independence Bowl berth
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Army football is set to face Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl on Saturday night. It’s the second team the Black Knights have been slated to play this bowl season.
No. 18 Army (11-2) was originally slated to play Marshall after winning the American Athletic Conference, however, the Thundering Herd opted out of the bowl game, allowing for the Bulldogs (5-7) to reach the postseason despite not reaching the typical 6-win threshold.
Army, coming off a loss to arch-rival Navy, is looking to reach 12 wins for the first time in program history. Quarterback Bryson Daily, who finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting, had one of the best seasons ever for the Black Knights, scoring 38 total touchdowns with a team-leading 1,532 rushing yards.
There are numerous reasons as to why Army won’t be taking on Marshall, who went 10-3 this season and won the Sun Belt championship.
Here’s an explanation of Army’s opponent in the Independence Bowl on Saturday:
Why is Army playing Louisiana Tech instead of Marshall?
Marshall backed out of the Independence Bowl in wake of coach Charles Huff leaving for the Southern Miss job, which resulted in numerous Thundering Herd players entering the transfer portal.
Marshall simply was left with hardly a roster and no head coach, resulting in the opt out.
Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported Louisiana Tech was selected as the replacement due to its Academic Progress Rate despite not reaching the 6-win bowl eligibility threshold. Dellenger added multiple 5-win teams had better APR than Louisiana Tech, however, were unable to commit to the game based on the short turnaround of the matchup after Marshall’s opt out.
Why did Marshall opt out of bowl game?
Marshall opted out of the game due to having a substantial number of players enter the transfer portal following Huff’s departure to Southern Miss.
The Thundering Herd had over 25 players enter the transfer portal, including all three of their scholarship quarterbacks.
“It is unfortunate that Marshall determined they won’t be able to compete in the bowl in a couple of weeks,” Independence Bowl executive director Missy Setters said in a statement. “Our goal was to create the best matchup possible for our local fans and college football fans throughout the country, and we think we did that with two conference champions. Moving forward we are very excited to host Louisiana Tech and are thrilled we found an opponent for Army.”
According to On3’s transfer portal database, Marshall has lost 45 players to the transfer portal this offseason.
Why is Louisiana Tech in Independence Bowl?
Louisiana Tech was the replacement for Marshall, who opted out of the Independence Bowl due to losing a large group of players to the transfer portal.
Louisiana Tech was then selected due to its Academic Progress Rate, despite not having the highest among 5-win teams. The Bulldogs (5-7) didn’t reach the 6-win bowl threshold, but were picked since there were no 6-win teams left to choose from.
Louisiana Tech’s APR was also not the highest among 5-win teams, but was selected after multiple teams in front of it in the pecking order couldn’t commit to the game with the short turnaround after Marshall’s opt out.
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The college football bowl action continues with the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl featuring the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs facing off against the Army Black Knights.
Stepping in to replace Marshall after it pulled out due to outside factors, Louisiana Tech has shown remarkable resilience. Despite a tough season, finishing 5-7 and fifth in Conference USA, the Bulldogs have not backed down. They are led by freshman quarterback Evan Bullock, who boasted a 67.4% completion rate for 1,938 yards, 14 touchdowns, and only two interceptions. Bullock has a strong target in wide receiver Tru Edwards, who led CUSA in receptions (77) and recorded 897 receiving yards with six touchdowns.
Louisiana Tech is set to face a challenging opponent in Army, which recently made history by winning its first AAC championship game. This marks a significant milestone in the program’s 134-year history after an impressive 11-2 season. The Black Knights are guided by senior quarterback Bryson Daily, who is a formidable presence both on the ground and through the air. Last season, Daily passed for 942 yards and nine touchdowns, while also throwing four interceptions. Additionally, he rushed for an impressive 1,532 yards, scoring a remarkable 29 touchdowns.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Independence Bowl.
Independence Bowl predictions: Louisiana Tech vs. Army
USA TODAY Sports: Army is unanimous pick
- Scooby Axson: Army
- Jordan Mendoza: Army
- Paul Myerberg: Army
- Erick Smith: Army
- Eddie Timanus: Army
- Dan Wolken: Army
ESPN: Army 23, Louisiana Tech 16
Adam Rittenberg writes: “The Independence Bowl has a new participant and a different/more local flavor, as Marshall opted out following its coaching change and portal exodus, and Louisiana Tech stepped in as the replacement, and will make the short drive from Ruston to Shreveport. The Bulldogs have half the number of wins as the Thundering Herd, but their defense can be very stingy at times, and will need to perform against Bryson Daily and the Black Knights. Although Louisiana Tech coach Sonny Cumbie said, “The band’s back together,” the Bulldogs will be without several defensive linemen who went into the transfer portal. Army is undoubtedly still smarting from the Navy loss, and top running back Kanye Udoh entered the portal. Louisiana Tech jumps ahead early behind quarterback Evan Bullock, but Army eventually takes control and grinds out a low-scoring win, its 12th on the season.”
College Football Network: Army 35, Louisiana Tech 13
James Fragoza writes: “The Black Knights’ 2024 campaign has been one for the books, highlighted by their physical dominance and a well-executed option attack. While a 49-14 rout at the hands of playoff-bound Notre Dame and a 31-13 upset loss to Navy stand out as blemishes, they’re hardly disqualifying. Navy, after all, is a nine-win squad with an efficient offense – a far cry from what Louisiana Tech brings to the table. The Black Knights, even after failing to cover as double-digit favorites in their last two outings, still present a clear mismatch for a Bulldogs team that managed just one win over an FBS opponent with a winning record this year. For Louisiana Tech, this matchup feels less like an opportunity and more like a buzzsaw, especially due to its transfer portal losses.”
Tickets to the Independence Bowl with StubHub
Independence Bowl odds, lines: Louisiana Tech vs. Army
The Army Black Knights are favorites to defeat the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, according to the BetMGM college football odds.
Odds as of Friday, Dec. 27.
- Spread: Army (-14)
- Moneylines: Army (-800); Louisiana Tech (+500)
- Over/under: 44.5
How to watch Louisiana Tech vs. Army in the Independence Bowl
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 28
- Time: 9:15 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN
- Stream: Fubo
- Where: Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)
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MONROE, La. (KNOE) – Miss Louisiana flew out from the Monroe Regional Airport to the Miss America competition in Orlando, Florida on Friday, Dec. 27.
Louisiana Tech University student and Texas native, Olivia Grace George will be competing against 50 other titleholders for the Miss America crown.
Before competing for Miss Louisiana in June 2024, she was 2023’s Miss Louisiana Watermelon Festival.
George said this coming week will be busy and fun-filled with lots of events on the schedule.
“I’m excited for the competition, but I’m just excited for the overall journey ahead,” said George.
During the Miss America competition, George will be performing a jazz dance routine for her talent.
George’s community service initiative is called “Education is Key – Knowledge Empowers Youth”.
“I hope to share with students the importance of education and how our education is a key that can unlock many wonderful doors,” said George.
George said she hopes to learn from the experience of Miss America.
“I hope to bring back that love and that gratitude and appreciation, and share it with the state of Louisiana and continue to support and love the state of Louisiana to the best of my ability,” said George.
George said no matter the outcome of the competition, she is grateful for the experience.
“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always wanted to go to Miss America, and so now that it’s actually happening, it’s just so surreal and incredible,” said George.
The Miss America preliminary competition takes place on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025 at 7 p.m.
The finals portion of the competition will air on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Click here for more information on where to access the live stream.
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