Louisiana abortion clinic, rape counselors prepare for SCOTUS ruling

Makenzie Boucher, Shreveport Times
·3 min read
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UPDATE

Abortion is illegal in Louisiana today after the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned its historic Roe v. Wade decision that guaranteed women the right to terminate their pregnancies for the past 50 years.

Louisiana's "trigger law" that was updated and signed by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards on June 21 "shall become effective immediately upon ... any decision of the Supreme Court of the United States which overrules, in whole or in part, Roe v. Wade."

That means all three of Louisiana's abortion clinics must close — Delta Clinic of Baton Rouge, Women's Health Care Center in New Orleans and Hope Medical Group in Shreveport.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards signed a bill to criminalize abortion in Louisiana with no exceptions for rape or incest. The bill will be enacted if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision legalizing abortion in the country.

On May 1, a draft opinion was published by Politico which revealed the Supreme Court's possible decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Although a final order has yet to be released states continue to await the future regarding abortion rights in the U.S.

"We continue to see patients as usual with the understanding access to abortion care could be denied or postponed any day.  We are committed to providing care for as long as possible. Legislators are determined to force themselves into physicians' offices with no regard to the needs of patients," said Kathleen Pittman, clinic administrator at Hope Medical Group.

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Hope Medical Group has been providing abortion care to families in the Ark-La-Tex since 1980. According to the Louisiana Illuminator, the clinic expects to "'pause” operations once the Supreme Court decision was handed down and consult with its attorneys to figure out how to proceed."

On June 21, Edwards signed Senate Bill 342 was built by Monroe Sen. Katrina Jackson on the basis of the 2006 "trigger law" which immediately outlaws abortion if the Supreme Court ever reverses Roe v. Wade.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards speaks to reporters at a briefing on the state's efforts against the coronavirus pandemic in Baton Rouge, La., Monday, May 4, 2020.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards speaks to reporters at a briefing on the state's efforts against the coronavirus pandemic in Baton Rouge, La., Monday, May 4, 2020.

This bill allows abortions for medical futility and ectopic pregnancies but excludes pregnancies formed from rape and incest.

Edwards told the Daily Advertiser he would have preferred exceptions for rape and incest.

What does this mean for sexual assault victims in Louisiana?

The state capital of Louisiana in Baton Rouge.
The state capital of Louisiana in Baton Rouge.

Project Celebration Inc. advocate, Aslan Godfrey said this bill is scary because victims already have a hard time reporting assault and this is only going to aid in the distrust.

"A lot of sexual assaults go unreported," said Godfrey. "So for a survivor, to have their power and control stripped of them during the assault, and then not having the control to move forward and make their own decisions based upon what they feel is best for them as a person, then a lot more are most likely going to go unreported, or the trust for the system is going to be knocked back down."

In the end, this bill provides no aid to victims. "It's not about taking sides or understanding because as an organization, we just want what is best for the survivor," said Godfrey.

Read: Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards signs abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest

From USA TODAY: Abortions in the US have increased for the first time in 30 years, new survey finds

There are 13 other states that have similar trigger laws, according to the pro-abortion rights Guttmacher Institute. Louisiana women who are victims of incest or rape would have to travel as far as New Mexico and Illinois to have an abortion.

Kathaleen Pittman, the administrator of the Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport. Feb. 20, 2020.
Kathaleen Pittman, the administrator of the Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport. Feb. 20, 2020.

"Forcing people to continue pregnancies when they are already struggling will only worsen their situation," Pittman said, "financial instability is the number one reason given for pregnancy termination."

Bill 342 will exempt pregnant women from prosecution but doubles the 2006 penalties for doctors or others who terminate a pregnancy. These penalties can result in a maximum fine of $100,000 and 10 years in jail.

Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Roe v. Wade: Abortion clinic, rape counselors prepare for ruling