US: Louisiana parliament passes bill that would make abortion considered homicide

Lawmakers in Louisiana are pushing for a bill that would ban them altogether abortions in this US state, giving constitutional rights “in all unborn children from the moment of fertilization», And on the basis of which abortions will be considered homicide.

The move came on Wednesday, two days after a draft Supreme Court ruling overturned a landmark 1973 ruling that legalized abortion at the federal level.

The court confirmed that the document, which was leaked late Monday by the Politico news website, was authentic, but noted that it did not reflect the judges’ final decision, which will be announced by the end of June.

The Louisiana bill is one of dozens promoted by lawmakers in conservative states. USA aimed at restricting access to abortion and an indication that Republicans are encouraged by the leak.

South Dakota Gov. Christie Noem, a Republican, said this week she would request an extraordinary meeting of the local parliament if the 1973 decision is overturned in order to limit the right to abortion as much as possible.

Deputies in Nebraska and Indiana have also said they will convene special sessions of parliament to consider restricting the right to abortion.
At the same time, liberal states such as California and Vermont are moving to protect the right to abortion by including it in their Constitution.

Louisiana MP Danny McCormick, a Republican who introduced the bill on “Abolition of AbortionIn March, he said the state should not wait for the Supreme Court’s final ruling but should continue its efforts to block access to abortion.

«We can not wait for the Supreme Court “, he stressed on Wednesday. The bill passed with 7 votes in favor and 2 against by the relevant parliamentary committee and must now be approved by the Louisiana House of Representatives.

The bill amends the current homicide law and states that its goal is “to ensure the right to life and equal protection of all unborn children from the moment of fertilization, providing them with protection under the same laws that protect other people “.

The bill seems to allow the prosecution of anyone who undergoes abortion or performs this operation on the charge of homicide, his opponents complain.

“What this bill does is specifically modify the crime of homicide and the crime of causing bodily harm so that people, including pregnant women, are prosecuted. at any stage of pregnancy“, Said Eli Schilling, a lawyer from Louisiana who represents clinics that provide medical services to women.

The bill states that the state should implement it “regardless of the decisions and judgments of the US Supreme Court»On abortion.

According to Chris Kaiser, a member of the Louisiana Civil Rights Organization (ACLU), the bill would outlaw assisted reproduction and many forms of contraception as it states that the egg is considered a person after fertilization and before implantation.

In an announcement yesterday, Thursday, he characterized the bill “barbaric».

Source: News Beast

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