Louisiana Committee Defeats Bill to Water Down Abortion Ban That Protects Babies

State   |   Sarah Zagorski   |   May 10, 2023   |   5:46PM   |   Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Today, in a 10-5 vote, the Louisiana Administration of Criminal Justice Committee defeated two pro-abortion attempts (HB 346 and HB 549) to add rape and incest exceptions to the 2022 Human Life Protection Act, legislation that effectively shuttered all three of Louisiana’s abortion facilities.

In committee testimony, rape survivor Heather Hobbs explained that her beautiful daughter conceived in rape is not “a child of a rapist, but a child of a rape survivor” and she is thankful for choosing life.

Hobbs stated, “Even though I was brutally raped, I am grateful for my daughter’s life. Survivors of rape like me need support, not the further trauma of abortion.”

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Adults who were conceived in rape also testified that they are grateful for their lives. Nearly a hundred testimony cards from pro-life citizens were submitted against the legislation.

Also in the committee, HB 522, the legislation that would gut Louisiana’s pro-life laws by removing nearly all penalties for abortion, was deferred during committee testimony, along with HB 461 and HB 598. Louisiana Right to Life will continue to oppose these bills throughout the legislative process.

Sarah Zagorski, Communications Director of Louisiana Right to Life, said the following about the victory: “Today, members of the Criminal Justice Committee heard compelling testimony from rape survivors, children conceived in rape, physicians and many others that abortion is not the solution to the violence of rape. Rape compounds a life-altering trauma for a woman, and steals her unborn child from her. Louisiana Right to Life believes rapists should be punished, not babies.”