Anti-abortion legislation usually passes easily in Louisiana’s Legislature but emphatic opposition to the bill from some anti-abortion stalwarts could bolster attempts to derail the measure or heavily amend it.
Louisiana already has laws on the books criminalizing abortion, including a “trigger law” ensuring that it will be a crime if the Supreme Court reverses the Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 ruling establishing abortion rights. The statutes appear to exempt women from prosecution, although some abortion rights advocates have suggested they need tightening.
McCormick said the existing laws are inadequate to give fetuses equal protection under law. “This is a debate we need to have in Louisiana,” he said. “There are good people on both sides of the debate.”
This article originally appeared on APNews.com.
