Poll Reveals Majority of LA Voters Support Constitutional Right to Abortion
More voters consider themselves “pro-choice” than “pro-life”
The last six months have been a whirlwind of movement building and growth opportunities for leaders in Reproductive Justice, Rights, and Health. At the falling of Roe, which we have all anticipated in some capacity in the deep south and around the nation, I transitioned in as Co-Executive Director with Lift Louisiana, partnering with my longtime friend and comrade Michelle Erenberg in an effort to strategize on a way forward.
New Orleans--The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) today turned its back on nearly 50 years of legal precedence, and in doing so has harmed millions of people, who no longer will have access to abortion services. By overturning Roe v. Wade, the court has denied a pregnant person’s right to bodily autonomy and to make critical health care decisions that impact their life and their future.
Each year, Louisiana funnels more than a million taxpayer dollars to the Alternatives to Abortion Initiative (AAI), a network of anti-abortion pregnancy centers that do not directly provide medical services. Rather, these centers push inaccurate medical information and religious content using tax dollars. There is no oversight of this program, no accountability for the contractors and subcontractors, and no reporting that indicates this program is meeting the goals of the state or federal programs that are providing the funding.
Last week the Supreme Court granted requests to hear the challenges to SB 8, the law which has decimated abortion access in Texas, setting oral arguments in both cases for November 1. The Court decided NOT to block the law while they consider these cases. We look forward to patients and providers having their day in court, but it’s devastating that the Supreme Court has allowed this blatantly unconstitutional law to remain in place.
BATON ROUGE, LA - Reproductive health, rights, and justice advocates have filed suit in state court in Baton Rouge, challenging a Louisiana law that will delay or even preclude abortion access for young people by implementing harmful restrictions that limit young people’s access to the court system.
Governor Edwards has signed two controversial abortion bills, HB 578 and HB 357, meaning both bills will become laws. We at Lift Louisiana are extremely disappointed in Governor Edwards’ action which will result in physicians being forced to deliver to their patients deceitful information and more young people struggling to access abortion through judicial bypass.
The Supreme Court has announced that it will hear a case involving a Mississippi law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregancy. Mississippi passed this law in 2018, and it was immediately blocked and declared unconstitutional by a lower federal court with the decision later upheld by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. This ruling affirmed the core tenet of Roe, that prevents state laws from banning abortions prior to viability, when a fetus can sustain life outside the womb.
Coalition will continue to fight to secure Louisiana people the right to make reproductive decisions regarding their own bodies
