CHANGING STATE ABORTION LAW - A Louisiana House committee voted Wednesday in support of a bill that would make abortion a crime of homicide for which a woman ending her pregnancy could be charged, along with anyone helping her. HB-813 proposes, to change current laws so that the word “person” includes a human being from the moment of fertilization and that the term, “unborn child” is defined as an individual human being from fertilization until birth. Republican Representative Danny McCormick of Oil City is the sponsor of the bill:
“We cannot wait on the Supreme Court (to) confirm that innocent babies have the right to life in Louisiana,” McCormick said. “Both medical and scientific advances over several decades have provided us with a greater understanding of pregnancy and the stages of the fetus making it clear that the act of abortion ends the life of a human being.”
The bill also declares that any federal law, regulation, or court ruling that allows abortion is void and that any judge who blocks enforcement of the bill’s provisions could be impeached.
Some fear this bill could lead to charges against women for homicide or battery in cases of miscarriage or infertility treatments like IVF. The bill passed with a vote of 7-2 and now heads to the full House.
