Pro-Life Victory: Restrictive Abortion Bill Heads To Jindal’s Desk

In a major victory for the Louisiana pro-life movement, legislation that puts further restrictions on abortion clinics, which will likely help close three of the state’s five abortion clinics, has been sent to Gov. Bobby Jindal’s desk for approval.

The full state House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to place more restrictions on abortion facilities, in a vote of 88-5. Not one State Representative spoke against the bill on the House floor.

Rep. Katrina Jackson (D-Monroe), known as Hurricane Katrina, authored HB388, which will mandate that abortionists have admitting privileges to a hospital within 30 miles of the abortion clinic that deal with obstetrical and gynecological services. And the legislation has not been a partisan bill pushed by Republicans and just a few Democrats.

Just last week, the restrictive abortion bill received bi-partisan support from State Senators when they passed it through the Senate on a 34-3 vote. Jackson said told the Monroe News-Star that the legislation is “one of the pieces of legislation that will be most impactful to this state regarding the pro-life movement.”

Proponents say the measure will ensure women have access to proper care if they have complications from an abortion, describing possible medical problems like hemorrhages, cervical injuries and infections.

“This bill will give women the health and safety protections they deserve,” Jindal said on Twitter after it was passed.

Under the new guidelines, doctors who perform more than five abortions a year will be required to meet the health and safety inspections required of abortion clinics. Currently,  Louisiana law requires doctors to meet those inspections at a whopping 60 abortions a year.

Also, women who take the abortion pill must now be required to “meet the same 24-hour waiting period and ultrasound requirements as those who have surgical abortions.” But, this does not apply to the “morning after pill” or emergency contraceptives.

The country’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, could not convince lawmakers that the new abortion restrictions were creating a “danger” for women.

“We all want to protect women’s health and safety — this bill doesn’t do that,” Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America said in a statement. She added: “We are deeply concerned that women in a vast stretch of this country are in real danger of losing the ability to access legal abortion safely.”

The legislation originally arose from similar legislation in Texas, causing more than two dozen abortion clinics in the Lone Star state to close their doors.

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