Bill heads to Governor’s desk
By Dave Andrusko
Louisiana State Rep. Mike Johnson
With roaring approval Tuesday from the state Senate, Louisiana moved to the doorstep of becoming the sixth state to pass the Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Act. The vote was 35-2.
HB 1081, authored by Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Bossier), had already passed overwhelmingly in the House, 83-0. Senator Beth Mizell carried HB 1081 on the Senate floor on behalf of Rep. Johnson. The bill now moves to the desk of Gov. John Bel Edwards.
The measure is already law in Kansas, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Mississippi, and (most recently) Alabama. The bill has also been introduced in Idaho, Missouri, and Nebraska, and is expected to be introduced in several other states.
“I commend the Louisiana Senate for taking decisive bipartisan action to approve this important legislation,” said Benjamin Clapper, Executive Director of Louisiana Right to Life. “Louisiana should not be a place where our fellow human beings, no matter whether they are born or unborn, are treated in a manner similar to that of dismemberment abortions.”
Following the Senate’s action, Deanna Wallace, Legislative Director of Louisiana Right to Life, said
“We appreciate Senator Mizell and Representative Johnson for their leadership to protect unborn children from dismemberment abortions. This gruesome procedure kills a baby by tearing her apart limb from limb. Before the first trimester ends, the unborn child has a beating heart, brain waves, and every organ system in place. Dismemberment abortions occur after the baby has reached these important milestones.”