Proposed Louisiana bill seeks to criminalize abortion, charge women with murder

Louisiana’s Home of Representatives is debating a invoice Thursday which might ban abortions and topic girls to prison prosecution for homicide.

The proposed invoice seeks to rewrite the state’s murder statute to incorporate abortion. The invoice additionally voids any federal statutes, laws, treaties, orders and court docket rulings that may enable abortion.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a pro-life Democrat, issued an announcement calling the invoice “radical” and stated it goes far past being pro-life.

“Home Invoice 813 will not be a pro-life invoice. Along with the truth that this laws is patently unconstitutional, this invoice would criminalize using sure forms of contraception, in addition to elements of the in vitro fertilization course of, and it may even function a barrier to life-saving medical therapy for a girl who’s struggling a miscarriage,” Edwards stated in an announcement.

Edwards known as the concept of a girl being jailed for an abortion “merely absurd.”

“I don’t usually touch upon these kind of payments earlier than they’ve made it by the legislative course of, however I felt I needed to be part of my voice to the refrain of pro-life organizations towards HB 813,” Edwards stated.

Anti-abortion group Louisiana Proper to Life additionally criticized the invoice, saying it isn’t according to the group’s coverage and “doesn’t exempt girls from criminalization and is pointless to guard the lifetime of infants from abortion.”

“Our longstanding coverage is that abortion-vulnerable girls shouldn’t be handled as criminals. As a substitute, we should always maintain accountable the people performing the abortion or promoting or offering the chemical abortion medication,” Louisiana Proper to Life stated in an announcement.

The invoice’s sponsor, state Rep. Danny McCormick, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from ABC Information.

McCormick informed the Related Press Wednesday that he believes {that a} girl who has an abortion must be in the identical authorized place as a girl who takes the life of a kid after start.

“Once I give equal safety to the unborn, that’s the chance,” he stated.

Louisiana Proper to Life on Thursday stated it helps an modification by Rep. Alan Seabaugh which fully replaces the invoice, and seeks to “maintain accountable” those that present abortion providers quite than moms, the group stated in an announcement.

“Via Rep. Seabaugh’s modification, Louisiana will reaffirm its coverage to guard unborn kids from abortion with out criminalizing abortion-vulnerable girls. Except HB 813 is basically modified by Rep. Seabaugh’s modification, Louisiana Proper to Life is asking legislators to oppose HB 813,” stated Benjamin Clapper, government director of Louisiana Proper to Life, in an announcement.