The anti-abortion bill by Rep. John LaBruzzo, R-Metairie, is now being re-evaluated in the House Appropriations Committee.
House Bill 645, formerly HB 587, would attempt to ban abortion in Louisiana by claiming life begins at conception.
“I wrote this bill because of my belief that under the 14th Amendment we are all created equal and with the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” LaBruzzo said. “That right goes to everyone, even those that have not yet been birthed.”
He said the bill would force Louisiana citizens to be more responsible and “stop using abortion as birth control.”
Medicaid federal regulations require states to allow abortions in the case of rape or incest in order to receive federal aid. However, the bill intends to ban abortions without exceptions.
If this bill were to pass, Louisiana would lose the annual $4.9 billion dollars from Medicaid.
Planned Parenthood opposes LaBruzzo’s bill.
“If Rep. LaBruzzo is genuinely concerned about reducing the incidence of abortion, then he should focus on strategies that help women and men avoid unintended pregnancies,” said the organization in a statement. “Providing access to affordable birth control and accurate medical information are proven strategies that work. Abortion bans do not.”
Media Chair for Voices for Planned Parenthood on campus (VOX) Jessica Allain said the bill is a threat to healthcare and women’s health in Louisiana.
“The House made the right decision in reevaluating the bill,” the English senior said.
There is also concern that the bill is unconstitutional under Roe v. Wade, which made it illegal for states to ban abortion before the 28th week of a woman’s pregnancy.
LaBruzzo disagrees the bill is unconstitutional, comparing abortion to slavery.
“Slavery was once constitutional … and everyone knew in their hearts it was wrong,” he said. “Just because something is constitutional doesn’t mean you can’t challenge it.”
President of Students for Life Joni Emmons also disagrees with the bill, despite its anti-abortion sentiments.
“I completely understand Rep. LaBruzzo’s desire to end abortion, but I think that HB 645 could do more harm than good if passed,” the English senior said. “Abortion isn’t going to be stopped by any legislative ban. The status quo can only be changed by educating people about the realities of abortion and the devastating effects it has on women
and on society at large.”
College-aged woman would potentially feel the impact of this bill the most.
According to a 2006 poll by census.gov, abortion rates are highest among women ages 20-24, at 39 percent.
A study by Arizona Right to Life also shows that college-aged women receive 45 percent of all abortions in the U.S.
History and Spanish junior Leslie Wheatley agreed that abortion is prominent among college-aged woman. She said she has seen the effects of abortion but that college students don’t openly discuss the issue.
Wheatley does not support the bill because she thinks it would be detrimental to women’s health.
However, other students like biology sophomore Brandon Woolf support the bill.
“Abortion is ethically wrong due to the fact that a fetus or an embryo is not only a human being, but a person,” he said. “Terminating the life of an embryo or a fetus is murder. … If you hit a woman with your car, some states rule it as murder.”
LaBruzzo said he feels there is support for his bill and that if it were voted on now it would pass. But he feels the lack of time this session may deter the vote.
 
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Contact Laura Furr at [email protected]