Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards signs abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest – By Greg Hilburn (Lafayette Daily Advertiser) / June 21, 2022
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has signed a bill to criminalize abortion in Louisiana, with no exceptions for rape or incest, if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its historic Roe v. Wade decision.
Senate Bill 342 by Democratic Monroe Sen. Katrina Jackson built on Louisiana’s 2006 “trigger law” to outlaw abortion if the Supreme Court ever reverses Roe, which seems possible after a draft decision doing so was leaked in May.
Jackson’s bill specifically exempts pregnant women from prosecution but doubles the 2006 penalties for doctors or others who terminate pregnancies to a maximum $100,000 fine and 10 years in jail.
Edwards, a Democrat and a devout Catholic who has a record of supporting abortion restrictions, said he would have preferred exceptions for rape and incest, although he has signed a previous bill without such exceptions.
