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 Earlier on Wednesday, Missouri's governor renewed his intention to
close a Planned Parenthood clinic and become the first state without
a medical facility that performs abortions.
The Louisiana bill was approved on Wednesday by a 79-23 vote of the
Republican-controlled Louisiana House of Representatives and had
already passed in the state Senate.
Louisiana would join at least four other conservative-leaning states
that have passed measures this year to prohibit abortion as early as
six weeks. Alabama has approved a stricter law that would ban nearly
all abortions in the state.
The U.S. Supreme Court may eventually be called upon to rule on the
various state laws, which challenge the high court's landmark 1973
Roe v. Wade decision that women have a constitutional right to an
abortion.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards would become the first Democrat
this year to sign a ban on abortion when a heartbeat is detected,
which can occur as early as six weeks from conception before a woman
realizes she is pregnant, lending bipartisanship to the measure. The
bill's sponsor, state Senator John Milkovich, is also a Democrat.
Other states that passed similar measures this year, including Ohio,
Mississippi and Missouri, are led by Republican governors.
"As I prepare to sign this bill, I call on the overwhelming
bipartisan majority of legislators who voted for it to join me in
continuing to build a better Louisiana that cares for the least
among us and provides more opportunity for everyone," Edwards said
in a statement on Wednesday.
The measure would allow a woman to have an abortion, after detection
of an embryonic heartbeat, to prevent her death or if she risks
serious injury.
The Louisiana legislation will not go into effect until a U.S.
Appeals Court rules on whether to allow a similar measure in
neighboring Mississippi to take effect. Last week, a U.S. district
judge blocked the Mississippi law from taking effect, and the
Appeals Court that is expected to review the ruling also has
jurisdiction over Louisiana.
DECADES-LONG FIGHT
The Roe v. Wade decision allowed states to restrict abortion from
the time a fetus can viably survive outside the womb, which the
opinion placed at 24 to 28 weeks from conception.
Anti-abortion campaigners have sought to overturn the decision ever
since, and they see an opportunity with the newly installed 5-4
conservative majority on the Supreme Court.
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While some states have sought to ban abortion at six weeks from
conception, at least three states have passed measures this year to
ban abortion starting at some point between eight weeks and 18
weeks.
The Louisiana House on Wednesday rejected a proposed amendment that
would have allowed exceptions to the ban if a woman became pregnant
during a rape or through incest.
Other states that have passed abortion restrictions this year also
declined to make exceptions for rape and incest, drawing criticism
from Trump, who supports such exceptions.
Abortion rights groups this year are challenging a number of state
restrictions in court.
The American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood obtained
an injunction from a judge in March blocking Kentucky's ban on
abortions, which would apply as early as six weeks from conception.
On another front in the battle, Planned Parenthood sued the Missouri
department of health on Tuesday after the department told the
state's only abortion clinic it could not approve a license until it
interviewed seven doctors that worked there.
The license for the clinic, which Planned Parenthood operates, is
due to expire on Friday.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson, a Republican, on Wednesday reiterated
his intention to close the clinic for failing to meet state
licensing standards.
Planned Parenthood said in a statement that Parson's remarks were
"not based on medicine, facts or reality," and it will do
"everything to ensure our patients get the best medical care
available."
Last week, Parson signed into law a measure banning abortion in
Missouri after the eighth week of a woman's pregnancy.
(Story was refiled to remove "Bel" from governor's name in paragraph
8)
(Reporting by Gabriella Borter and Alex Dobuzinskis, Editing by Bill
Tarrant and Grant McCool)
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