Louisiana legislature sends two key pro-life bills to governor's desk

Reuters/Aaron P. Bernstein

Pro-life activists gather for the National March for Life rally in Washington, DC, U.S. January 27, 2017.

Two key pro-life bills, which were approved by the Louisiana legislature last week, are currently awaiting the signature of Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.

The Louisiana House of Representatives recently passed SB 128, which intends to add an additional layer of protection to prevent the sale of dismembered bodies of aborted babies. The legislation, authored by Sen. John Milkovich (D-Shreveport), was passed by the Senate on May 1 and approved by the House on Friday by a vote of 93–0.

On Thursday, the House voted 93–0 to pass SB 111, which would require parents or legal guardians to provide "evidence of identity," such as unexpired driver's license or other types of government-issued identification, before a doctor can perform an abortion on an unmarried pregnant minor. The measure, authored by Sen. Beth Mizell (R-Franklinton), was passed by the Senate on May 17 by a vote of 29–6.

Under current law, minors seeking an abortion must obtain a court order before undergoing the procedure. Those seeking a court order may be required to undergo an evaluation and counseling session with a state-employed mental health professional.

SB 111, also known as the Screening for Exploitation of Minors Before Abortion Act, would make it mandatory for the minor seeking an abortion to undergo an evaluation.

A counselor would be required to verify if the minor is not a victim of coerced abortion and to determine if the pregnancy is a result of rape, incest or human trafficking, according to Rewire.

If the pregnancy was determined to be a result of rape, incest or human trafficking, a court may appoint a child advocate attorney, who must evaluate "how well the minor is informed about pregnancy, fetal development, abortion risks and consequences, the indicators of human trafficking, and abortion alternatives."

Benjamin Clapper, executive director of Louisiana Right to Life, hailed the news of the passage of both bills.

"The two main pieces of 2017 Louisiana pro-life legislation sailed through the Louisiana House by an overwhelming margin and reaffirm the pro-life majority of our Legislature," he said, as reported by Life News.

He contended that the two bills would strengthen Louisiana's pro-life laws once it is signed by Edwards.

"SB 111 ensures greater protection of minor girls from predatory threats, including those trafficking these young women in commercial sexual exploitation. SB 128 takes a proactive step to ensure organizations like Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast cannot cut up the bodies of aborted babies for profit," Clapper stated.