Louisiana Lawmakers Deny Rape Exceptions in Abortion Ban

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    In Baton Rouge, Louisiana legislators have once again turned down a bill that aimed to permit minors who have been raped to undergo abortions. This marks the third year in a row that such a proposal has encountered rejection. During a highly charged committee meeting on Tuesday, which included discussions with religious undertones, lawmakers objected to expanding the already strict abortion laws to include young rape victims under the age of 17 in the exceptions list.

    Democratic Representative Delisha Boyd, who authored the bill, passionately argued that young rape victims should not be compelled to carry pregnancies to term. “If we’re truly pro-life, we should also be fighting for the life of those children who are raped and molested,” Boyd stated, emphasizing the plight of these minors under the current Louisiana law.

    Among those opposing the amendment was Democratic Representative Patricia Moore, who shared her personal story of being conceived following a rape endured by her mother as a teenager. Moore expressed her personal conflict, informed by her faith and internal struggles leading up to her decision. She recounted seeking divine insight into whether such a situation could bear positive outcomes.

    Moore, illustrating the dire circumstances, mentioned a case of a pregnant nine-year-old in her district, which adds weight to her struggle between religious beliefs and legislative decision-making. She continued, “I’m struggling because life and death, according to our Heavenly Father, it’s in his hands.” Despite her empathy for victims, Moore maintained her resistance to the bill, citing belief in God’s transformative power over adverse circumstances.

    Boyd shared a similar backstory, disclosing that she too was born after her mother was raped as a teenager before the landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion nationwide. Boyd highlighted how today, some rape survivors in Louisiana find themselves still without options, confined to carry pregnancies to term or travel to states where abortion remains legal.

    Expressing gratitude for her own life, Boyd pointed out the absence of choice her mother and Moore’s mother faced, urging lawmakers to afford today’s victims that very choice. “I know the Bible. But I also know God gives people the ability to do right and wrong,” she remarked, pushing for legislative change.

    Ultimately, the proposed bill did not pass, failing with a 3-9 vote. Even within the Democratic ranks, there was notable opposition, as two Democrats joined Republicans in voting against the amendment. The rejection reflects the deep-seated beliefs predominant in Louisiana, a state positioned within the Bible Belt, where even some members of the Democratic Party oppose abortion rights.

    This legislative defeat is a setback for advocates in a state renowned for its conservative stance on abortion, where attempts to broaden exceptions to the near-total abortion ban continue to falter. Currently, only four of the twelve states enforcing complete or near-complete abortion bans have provisions for rape exceptions.

    Recent findings published by the Journal of the American Medical Association reveal an alarming statistic: from July 2022 to January 2024, over 64,000 pregnancies resulted from rape in states with stringent abortion restrictions. Louisiana’s existing abortion provisions, which were enacted following the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022, limit exemptions to scenarios posing significant health risks to the mother or in the case of medically futile pregnancies. For proponents of reform, the pursuit of broader exceptions remains fraught with challenges in this heated battleground.