Gov. Edwards, a pro-life Democrat, comes out against abortion bill that would charge mothers with murder

BATON ROUGE, La. (WVUE) - Gov. John Bel Edwards, a pro-life Democrat, has come out against a controversial Louisiana House bill that would criminalize abortion, IVF, and many forms of contraception in anticipation of the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade, according to his office’s spokesperson.

READ MORE Louisiana Right to Life opposes bill classifying abortion as homicide

Edwards, who spoke at a Rotary Club meeting in Baton Rouge this afternoon, acknowledged that he’s signed previous anti-abortion legislation before but that previous bills he’s signed never set to criminalize mothers. He called HB 813, which was written by State Rep. Danny McCormick, “problematic” and “patently unconstitutional.”

The governor’s spokesperson said that he believes that the bill goes in the wrong direction and that women that have an abortion, go through IVF, or use contraception should not go to jail.

Edwards issued a formal statement on his opinion and his intention to veto the bill if it makes it to his desk. Commenting on the bill, he said it is not “pro-life”, despite it aiming towards making abortion punishable with murder charges.

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