Roe abortion ruling struck down; La. ready with 'trigger law'

Only days after Gov. John Bel Edwards signed a bill toughening Louisiana’s abortion “trigger law,” the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Roe v. Wade decision that prevented states from banning abortion outright.

The trigger law means the Supreme Court’s Friday decision made abortion illegal in Louisiana.

The bill signed by Edwards exempts women who undergo abortions from prosecution but it would send health care workers who perform abortions to prison for up to 10 years.

Edwards signed the bill Tuesday. It was proposed by Sen. Katrina Jackson, D-Monroe. The original law outlawing abortion in the event the Supreme Court strikes down Roe was passed in 2006.

The Supreme Court’s decision resulted from its review of a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks. Associate Justice Samuel Alito’s majority opinion said the 1973 Roe decision and its decision in the Casey case two decades later were wrongly decided and should be overturned.
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy praised the court’s decision Friday.

“Being pro-life means being pro-mothers, pro-babies, and pro-healthy futures—a philosophy I carry with me in the Senate,” said Cassidy, R-La, in a press release. “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 likelihood of a decision striking down Roe was leaked to the press a month ago.

The Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act requires a $10,000 fine and imposes up to a 10-year prison sentence on those who leak confiden-tial 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.

A statement from the Louisiana Democratic Party said the decision “will undoubtedly disrupt the lives of women and families across Louisiana. It will trigger laws that resemble Louisiana HB 813, which attempted to criminalize contraception and in-vitro fertilization, to go into effect all over the country. The Republicans pushing these laws do so under a pro-life banner, but do not put forth any policies that support the viability of human life.

“We are in uncharted waters, and there are many consequences of this decision that will become apparent later.”

The state House Republican delegation applauded Friday's ruling.

"Today is a huge win for pro-life advocates and Republican legislators who have worked tirelessly to protect innocent life in the womb. God bless America!” said State Rep. Blake Miguez, Louisiana House majority leader in a press release.

“We have lived under Roe v. Wade my entire life,” said state Rep. Julie Emerson. “I’ve often said that while not impossible, the stars would have to align for it to be overturned. Well, today those stars aligned."

U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette and St. Mary's representative in the House, called the Supreme Court ruling "a major victory for life. The sovereign states will now have greater authority to implement strong pro-life protections. The Supreme Court’s majority justices showed courage and resolve in standing by the leaked draft opinion. The radical left-wing mob did not and will not win. We will protect innocent life.”