Sunday, June 03, 2012

Louisiana: Restricting Abortion After 20 Weeks

The Louisiana legislature has nearly unanimously passed a bill, SB 766, to outlaw abortion beyond 20 weeks after fertilization, except to save the life of the mother. Abortionists violating this law could be jailed for up to two years.
“Louisiana ranks as the No. 1 pro-life state in America.”
-- State Rep. Frank Hoffmann (R-West Monroe)
For background, read Pro-life Legislation Floods America and also read Pro-life Legislation in Louisiana

-- From "Louisiana House approves bill banning abortions after 20 weeks" by Kathy Finn, Reuters 6/1/12

The measure, which Hoffman referred to as the "pain bill," is based on controversial research that a fetus can feel pain by that stage of development.

He later told Reuters that by some estimates, about 150 abortions are performed in Louisiana each year on fetuses that would fit the 20-week restriction.

Georgia a month ago became the seventh state to ban most or all abortions after 20 weeks. Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska and North Carolina also have such restrictions.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "La. abortion bills near final legislative passage" by Shelia V. Kumar, The Associated Press 5/31/12

Julie Mickelberry, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, said the proposal would restrict doctors' abilities to provide medical care in the best interest of their patients.

Another [bill] by Sen. Sharon Weston Broome, D-Baton Rouge, would rewrite ultrasound requirements for an abortion and require doctors to give women the choice to listen to the fetal heartbeat before having the procedure.

Broome's bill would require the ultrasound 24 hours before the abortion, instead of [the current requirement of] two hours.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Changes to abortion restrictions near final passage in Legislature" by Bill Barrow, The Times-Picayune 5/31/12

Broome's bill requires the abortion provider to make the screen visible to the woman and to give an oral explanation. On the latter requirement, a woman could opt out only by affirming in writing that she is the victim of a rape or incest. The bill includes passages stating that a woman would not be required to look at ultrasound images, but the cumulative effect of the measure as written puts the burden on the woman to turn away.

Further, the bill would require the fetal heartbeat, if one is present, to be audible, unless a woman opts out by initialing the following statement: "I have the option to listen to the heartbeat of the unborn child that is required to be made audible unless I declined by initialing here."

Planned Parenthood also opposes Broome's bill, calling it an insult to women and their doctors.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.