La. 'trigger law' in place if Roe overturned

A "trigger law" approved by the Louisiana Legislature in 2006 would make abortion illegal if a leaked US. Supreme Court draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade becomes official.
The Supreme Court could strike down the landmark 1973 decision guaranteeing federal constitutional protections for abortion in Roe v. Wade, as well as the subsequent 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey that further supported abortion rights, in a draft majority opinion circulated inside the court, according to Politico.
The opinion, authored by Justice Samuel Alito, argues "Roe was egregiously wrong from the start."
"We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled," he wrote. "It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives."
Planned Parenthood attacked the draft opinion on Twitter.
"Let's be clear: This is a draft opinion. It's outrageous, it's unprecedented, but it is not final," the tweet said. "Abortion is your right — and it is STILL LEGAL."
If the decision stands when it's expected to be officially released in June, it would trigger a Louisiana law approved by the Legislature in 2006 to ban abortions in the Pelican State, with only one excep-tion.
Act 467, authored by former Sen. Ben Nevers, D-Bogalusa, and signed into law by former Democrat-ic Gov. Kathleen Blanco, immediately takes effect if "a US Supreme Court decision reverses, in whole or in part, Roe v. Wade, or an adoption on of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution which, in whole or in part, restores to the state the authority to prohibit abortion."
Act 467 prohibits abortion, unless necessary to save the life of a mother, with no exceptions for rape or incest. The law would immediately end abortions at Louisiana's three abortion clinics: The Wom-en's Health Care Clinic in New Orleans, Delta Clinic in Baton Rouge, and Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport.
Those three clinics and others conducted 118,509 abortions in Louisiana between 2006 and 2019, KEPL reports.
"While we have no indication if the leaked decision is accurate, we would celebrate the overturn of Roe v. Wade, restoring Louisiana's right to protect every precious unborn baby from abortion," said Benjamin Clapper, executive director of Louisiana Right to Life. The Supreme Court confirmed Tuesday that the draft opinion was authentic but not final. "With an abundance of public and private resources, Louisiana is ready to support women before and after birth. Louisiana is ready to be abor-tion-free," Clapper added.
Clapper noted Act 467 "ensures that the state of Louisiana has the authority to prohibit abortion fol-lowing the demise of Roe.
"Additionally, the Louisiana Love Life Amendment passed in 2020 protects our body of comprehen-sive pro-life laws disallowing state judges from 'finding' a right to abortion or the funding of abortion in the Louisiana Constitution."
On Monday, the Louisiana Senate also passed Senate Bill 342, known as the 2022 Reaffirmation of Human Life Protection Act, by a vote of 29-3. The measure now heads to the House for considera-tion.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Katrina Jackson, D-Monroe, states "it shall be unlawful for a physician or other person to perform an abortion, with or without the consent of the pregnant female."
The legislation makes exceptions for ectopic pregnancies or to save the life of the mother.
"Whoever commits the crime of abortion shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than one year nor more than 10 years and shall be fined not less than $10,000 nor more than $100,000," the bill reads.
"The time is NOW! The Louisiana House of Representatives should take up Senator @KatrinaRJackson's SB 342 – the Reaffirmation of the Human Life Protection Act — as fast as pos-sible and place it on @LouisianaGov's desk for signature!" Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry posted to Twitter Monday. "Let's have #LouisianaLead!"
Gov. John Bel Edwards is a pro-life Catholic Democrat who has opposed abortion throughout his political career.