Senate Committee advances abortion bill without objection

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - The abortion issue reared its head Tuesday down at the State Capitol. A Senate Committee advanced a bill to criminalize the procedure performed by anyone other than a licensed doctor.

The Senate Judiciary C Committee passed SB330 without objection that would create the crimes of criminal abortion and aggravated criminal abortion. The new law would mandate that only licensed physicians can perform an abortion in Louisiana. Current abortion laws also require that a licensed physician perform them in a licensed facility, but those are civil penalties. This law would put people in jail.

"This will enable prosecutors to be able to bring these cases to court and to protect not only women and children but protect the integrity of the medical profession," said Dorinda Bordlee, Bioethics Defense Fund.

Proponents of the bill say the standard of care is the issue, so by only allowing licensed physicians in good standing to perform abortions, the standard of care is intact.

"As my experience has been counseling women who have not received the high standard of medical care that we believe that Louisiana women must receive for their protection," said Cindy Collins, anti-abortion activist.

Like most abortion issues at the Capitol, there is usually a side.

"This is a violent act that not only happens to the child in the womb, but it is a violent act that happens inside the womb of a woman," said Collins.

Oddly enough, there was no opposition to the measure which was move on to the Senate floor.

"If you're not a licensed physician, do not come in here and subject women and unborn children to this act of violence," said Bordlee.

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