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Abortion Rights Survive Louisiana Legislative Session, For Now

By Tanya M. Shlosman

Emboldened by the appointments of conservative justices to the Supreme Court,  many states continue to pass bills aimed at severely restricting or eliminating abortion access. Louisiana is no exception to this trend and according to The Advocate, the majority Republican legislature failed to pass HB813 by Rep. Danny McCormick that would have jailed women who had abortions and used some forms of birth control. However, women’s reproductive health was further restricted again this session with the passage of Senate Bill 342 sponsored by Senator Katrina Jackson, D-Monroe and Senate Bill 388 by Senator Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell. 

SB 342 by Senator Katrina Jackson will go into effect upon the Governor’s signature and is an extreme ban that criminalizes all abortions from the "moment of fertilization."  The bill does not include any exceptions for rape and incest. The bill was amended to ensure it doesn’t make birth control and emergency contraception illegal.

SB 388 by Senator Sharon Hewitt  will go into effect August 1, 2022 and criminalizes medication abortion if not prescribed by a Louisiana physician, and when not administered to the patient in person, making it a felony under any other circumstances. The bill was amended to ensure it doesn’t make birth control and emergency contraception illegal.

Louisiana already has a trigger ban that will immediately go into effect if Roe v. Wade is overturned. The law already allows the trigger ban to be enforced against anyone who violates the law through imprisonment, civil fines, and professional disciplinary action. Any day now the decision in the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization case currently before The Supreme Court could gut or overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

While both pro and anti-reproductive health advocates continue their fight in legislative houses across the country, abortion is still legal in the state of Louisiana. There are currently three clinics in Louisiana: Delta Clinic in Baton Rouge; Women’s Health Care Center in New Orleans, and Hope Medical in Shreveport. People seeking financial assistance for an abortion in central and south Louisiana can contact the New Orleans Abortion Fund and for patients in north Louisiana, contact the Goldstein Fund.

So far this session bills have been filed that will limit reproductive choices including abortion and birth control. 

There are beneficial bills like providing Emergency Contraception for sexual assault victims, period products in schools and allowing insurance companies to dispense 12 months of birth control at one time!

The usual anti-trans bills are back.

Equal pay for women has been filed again this year.

Raising the minimum wage.

These bills and more can be found on our bill tracker!

We will be sending action alerts letting you know what you can do to support or oppose these bills. 

Check back often or follow us on social media @NOWBatonRouge!

Stay tuned!

 Stay Tuned for Updates and Action Alerts for the 2022 Louisiana Legislative Session!

March 14, 2022-June 10, 2022

Contact your legislators and tell them you support SCR2! We can’t #MakeLa38 without voicing our concern #LaRatifyERA #ERAYes 
https://actionnetwork.org/l…/equal-rights-amendment-its-time

You are invited to join Lift Louisiana for Women on Wednesdays, a bi-weekly advocacy campaign to advance policies for women in Louisiana. Each week, we will host groups of advocates at the State Capitol, to learn about key issues affecting women across our state and the impacts of proposed legislation. Advocates will receive training on how to influence the legislative process and will have the chance to speak directly to their lawmakers.

Women on Wednesdays will be held at the Louisiana State Capitol from 10 am - 5 pm on the following dates: April 10, April 24th, May 8th, May 22nd, and June 5th, 2019.

Sign up to attend one Wednesday or as many as you'd like!

Travel assistance is available.

Follow us at #WomenOnWednesdays

Birthright: A War Story

Join PSN, NOW BR, and Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast for a screening of Birthright: A War Story

This film examines the aggressive campaign to take control of reproductive healthcare and to allow states, courts and religious doctrine to govern whether, when and how women will bear children. Filmmaker Civia Tamarkin explores the fallout that is creating a public health crisis, turning pregnant women into criminals.

Tickets are $6.50. Join us a 6pm for pre-show mingling with a cash bar and light fare, the movie begins at 7pm. https://manshiptheatre.secure.force.com.