LARTL Proposes HB 586 to Prevent Coerced Abortion
Gov. Jindal Announces his Support; First Committee Hearing Tomorrow
Greetings!
Did you know 64% of women who choose abortion felt coerced or pressure to make that decision, often against their will?
To help turn the tide, Louisiana Right to Life will accompany State Representative Frank Hoffman tomorrow to the House Health and Welfare Committee at the Capitol in Baton Rouge to introduce HB 586, the Forced Abortion Warning Sign and Internet Access to Abortion Alternatives Act.
HB 586 is a product of many months of planning, along with in-depth discussions with the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) and Secretary Bruce Greenstein. We are proud to be a prime sponsor of this legislation.
Women deserve love and commitment. But a tragic consequence of Roe is that it enables men to use women and then subtly or overtly coerce abortion. Often it is an employer, friend or parent who pressures a woman to abort. H.B. 586 addresses this in two ways:
- Requires a "Forced Abortion Prevention Sign" to be posted in abortion clinics informing women that
- they can't be forced to abort against their will
- that the father is liable for support
- that adoptive parents may pay costs of prenatal care and childbirth
- that there are many public and private resources to help during and after pregnancy
- Creates a DHH website and mobile/smartphone platform to deliver info about public and private pregnancy resources, free ultrasound, abortion health risks, the development of the unborn child, etc.
- In addition to being posted on the sign, the web address must be given by phone or email at the initial contact seeking an appointment.
We believe this legislation modernizes Louisiana's Women's Right to Know Law and helps reach women considering abortion with the essential information and the numerous agencies and resources available to assist them both before and after birth.
Governor Jindal has announced his support of the legislation, and our many allies will be at table with us to support HB 586 (including the legal support of the Bioethics Defense Fund). We have a number of hurdles to overcome before this legislation is law, but we are confident we will see the process through to the end!
Please be looking for chances to contact your legislators once we are on the house floor to support HB 586 and oppose forced abortions!
For the most current information on HB 586 and other legislation, please "Like" us on Facebook and follow our page updates!
For a Pro-Life Louisiana,
Benjamin Clapper
Executive Director
Louisiana Right to Life
P.S. On the federal level, we are working for the passage of the No Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Act (H.R. 3). A vote in the House of Representatives is expected as early as tomorrow! If you have not taken time to contact your Congressman, please do so now. We are in touch with our Congressmen in regards to this vote as well.
64% statistic from: VM Rue et. al. "Induced abortions and traumatic stress: A preliminary comparison of American and Russian women," Medical Science Monitor 10(10):SR5-16 (2004).
