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The Supreme Court has decided to overturn Roe v. Wade, a decision that ends the constitution protections for abortions since 1973. This decision could potentially lead to bans on abortions in nearly half the United States.
Overturning Roe allows each state, not the courts, to decide their own laws.
Louisiana is one of 13 states that has passed “trigger laws” that go into effect with this overturn.
Governor Edwards signed into law two bills that extend Louisiana’s previous ban. Governor Kathleen Blanco signed the first law that stated most abortions would become illegal upon the overturn of Roe v. Wade. The law stated no person can administer, prescribe, procure for, or sell to any pregnant woman any medicine, drug or other substance with the intent causing an abortion. Individuals are also banned from knowingly performing a procedure on a pregnant woman with the intent to terminate the pregnancy.
Licensed physicians can perform an abortion to save a pregnant woman’s life or prevent from serious, permanent damage. However, doctors must make “reasonable medical efforts” to save the life of the mother and unborn child.
The law does not prohibit contraceptives as long as they are administered “prior to the time when a pregnancy could be determined through conventional medical testing.”
A bill passed during the 2022 regular legislative session would make doctors who perform abortions subject to prison terms of one to 10 years. Another that passed makes it more difficult to obtain abortion-inducing drugs. The bill says such drugs must be administered by a licensed physician, in person, outlawing the dispensing of such drugs by mail.
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) released a statement following the United States Supreme Court’s ruling regarding Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
“Today’s decision recognizes that an unborn child has a right to life,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Being pro-life means being pro-mothers, pro-babies, and pro-healthy futures—a philosophy I carry with me in the Senate. This is a deeply emotional issue for many Americans, no matter which side one stands, but it is now up to individual states to enact their own policies.”
This week, Cassidy introduced the Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act, legislation that criminalizes individuals who leak confidential information from the Supreme Court of the United States. The Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act requires a $10,000 fine and imposes up to a 10-year prison sentence on those who leak confidential information from the Supreme Court. Additionally, Cassidy’s legislation goes one step further by enforcing a seizure of profits derived from the leak which could include book deals or cable television contributor contracts.
In response, Attorney General Landry issued the following statement:
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad. Today, along with millions across Louisiana and America, I rejoice with my departed Mom and the unborn children with her in Heaven!
The Supreme Court has finally returned to the Constitution and delegated power back to the people. Our State’s representatives, held accountable by their constituents, should – and now again can – determine abortion policy not the federal government.
As noted in both my legal brief to the Supreme Court and the majority’s opinion: the Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision.
Because of the Court’s ruling in this case about a Mississippi law limiting abortions after 15 weeks of gestation with exceptions for health emergencies and fetal abnormalities, Louisiana’s trigger law banning abortion is now in effect.
My office and I will do everything in our power to ensure the laws of Louisiana that have been passed to protect the unborn are enforceable, even if we have to go back to court.
As the chief legal officer for our State, I will continue defending Louisiana’s pro-life laws and working to ensure the health and safety of women and their babies.”
In response, Congressman Steve Scalise released the following statement:
