A Senate committee approves legislation that would prohibit abortions in Louisiana after 15 weeks from conception, but there are concerns the legislation could bring upon unintended consequences. Kaplan Senator Jonathan Perry urged the bill’s author to work on the language of the bill with an attorney, before bringing it up to the Senate floor.
Perry says that the bill is unclear "to the point that it can hurt."
An attorney said if “Roe versus Wade” is overturned, this legislation could actually weaken Louisiana’s pro-life laws by allowing abortions within 15 weeks of pregnancy. But the bill’s author, Shreveport Senator John Milkovich, urged the committee to pass his legislation so its in place if the federal appeals court upholds Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban.
Milkovich says, "If we have this bill in place, it becomes illegal to kill babies after fifteen weeks."
Pro choice advocates were on hand to testify against the 15-week abortion ban. Amy Irvin of the New Orleans Abortion Fund says the legislation will cost the state thousands of dollars to defend.
Irvin says, "It is irresponsible for policy makers to pass anti-choice legislation that will result in costly litigation."