I just sent the following email to each Representative on the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee, who will soon be voting on several Louisiana House Bills concerning abortion. You can find a list of all the members of this committee with their email addresses here.
Governor John Bell Edwards just gave a State of the State speech in which he pushed legislators to pass this legislation; it’s being pushed from the top.
Please consider emailing these representatives yourself—let them know you value the lives of these children.
Dear Representative,
Concerning the following three House Bills which intend to modify Louisiana’s abortion laws, I would like to ask for a “No” vote from you.
HB522 (Provides relative to abortion)
Regarding the penalties for someone who commits the crime of abortion, this bill removes jail time completely from a physician who kills a baby in the womb via abortion or induced abortion. In addition, this bill completely eliminates the minimum fine for one who commits the crime of abortion and drops the maximum fine limit to $25,000 (currently the maximum fine is $100,000).
Regarding the penalties for someone who commits the crime of late term abortion, this bill removes jail time completely from a physician who kills a baby in the womb via late term abortion. In addition, this bill completely eliminates the minimum fine for one who commits a late term abortion and drops the maximum fine limit to $50,000 (currently the maximum fine is $200,000).
This bill essentially erases the threat of punishment for committing abortions in Louisiana, making our current abortion laws impotent.
Please vote “No” on HB522!
HB346 (Provides for exceptions to the abortion laws of this state relative to rape and incest)
HB549 (Provides relative to termination of pregnancy that is the result of certain sex offenses)
These two bills are similar. They seek to remove rape and incest from Louisiana’s definition of “abortion” and seeks to not require any police or investigatory report, forensic evidence from the pregnant female, or a prosecution of the alleged offense.
First, the reason why a baby is conceived is not the baby’s fault; the baby should not bear the penalty for it. The reason we have outlawed abortion in Louisiana is because we value the baby’s life. We recognize all humans as having unalienable rights, the chief of which is life. If one does not have the right to life, one cannot access the rights of liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We seek to protect the baby’s right to life, even in difficult circumstances. There are men and women today who are the products of both rape and incest, and we devalue and dehumanize them when we talk about “rapist’s babies” being not worthy of life.
Second, these bills protect those committing rape and incest by allow the abortion with no penalties and no requirement of investigation. This allows abusers to erase the evidence of their crimes and encourages future acts of violence against women along with future abortions.
Please vote “No” on HB522, HB346, and HB549!
These three bills are anti-life, pro-criminal, and unjust. Please vote on the side of life.
We can be compassionate to victims of rape and incest and value the lives of the babies. We can do both at once.
Thank you for your work and your consideration, and may God bless you as you administer your duties,
Nathan Williams