The state senate passed a bill Wednesday which could outlaw all abortions except those necessary to save the life of a mother.
The bill, which was authored by Sen. Ben Nevers, D-Bogalusa, makes almost all abortions illegal – the senate refused provisions to allow for the procedure in the event of rape or incest.
The bill, which passed in the senate 30-7, will now be considered by the House.
“Lord knows I would never want to hurt a mother, in any way. Lord knows I would never want to hurt a victim of rape or incest,” Nevers told The Associate Press. “A crime committed by a rapist should not result in the death of an unborn child.”
The law recognizes the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, stating that it will not become effective until the Supreme Court overturns its previous decision or a president declares states have the right to prohibit abortions again.
The law would make it illegal for doctors to perform abortions on any pregnant woman except to save the mother’s life.
If passed, doctors who provide abortions could be sentenced up to 10 years in prison and face up to $100,000 in fines.
But a provision of the law states women who receive an abortion cannot be tried criminally.
Sen. Joel Chaisson, D-Destrehan, proposed an amendment that would also allow for the procedure in the event of rape or incest.
“Unless there’s a rape and incest exception, this law may never go into effect,” Chaisson told the AP.
The amendment failed with a vote of 17-20.
The proposed law is similar to one that passed in South Dakota in February. Unlike the South Dakota law, which its author said was created to force the Supreme Court to review Roe v. Wade, the Louisiana law would not be activated until the Supreme Court changed its previous ruling.
Rep. Tim Burns has proposed a similar bill in the House that provides for exceptions for rape and incest. The bill has been referred to the House Criminal Justice Committee.
 
Contact Ginger Gibson at [email protected]