State Republican lawmakers in Louisiana advanced a bill this week that would classify abortion as homicide and allow for prosecution of women who seek the procedure instead of just providers.
It is the latest ripple effect from a leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade.
The legislation advanced on a 7-2 vote in a House committee, according to The Washington Post, which said sponsors saw a direct link between the Supreme Court’s expected action and their bill.
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“We’ve been waiting 50 years to get to this point,” state Rep. Danny McCormick, a Republican, said.
Abortion rights advocates sounded the alarm over the statute. They reminded people during committee hearings that the law would go beyond most anti-abortion statutes and target women with harsh penalties.
The bill, if passed, would go to Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, who has supported anti-abortion measures in the past but might see this as too extreme.
Louisiana is among roughly a dozen states that have a trigger law that would make abortion illegal once Roe is overturned by the Supreme Court. Bill sponsors said it wasn’t stringent enough because it only imposes a $1,000 fine on providers.
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