Louisiana Bans Late-Term Abortions

(AP)  Gov. Kathleen Blanco signed legislation Friday that penalizes doctors who perform a late-term abortion procedure, making Louisiana the first to outlaw the surgery since a similar federal ban was upheld this year.

The new law allows the procedure only when the mother's life would be endangered without it. It would be a crime in all other cases, including when the pregnancy is expected to cause health problems for the mother.

The statute mirrors a federal ban that President Bush signed into law in 2003 and upheld in April by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Lawmakers in other states are expected to consider similar bans. Louisiana is the first to enact one, according to the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights, an abortion-rights group.

Under the Louisiana legislation, doctors face fines of between $1,000 and $10,000, and jail terms of between one and 10 years.

The procedure is the subject of angry debate between anti-abortion groups, who support state bans, and abortion-rights groups, who opposed the federal ban and have fought state bans.

Planned Parenthood officials argued against the Louisiana ban in legislative committee hearings, but received a chilly response from lawmakers. Only a handful of legislators voted against the bill.

Anti-abortion activists call the procedure "partial-birth abortion"; surgeons and abortion rights activists call it "dilation and extraction." It involves partially removing the fetus intact from a woman's uterus, then puncturing or crushing the skull.

The Democratic governor on Monday signed legislation requiring that all women seeking an abortion be notified that fetuses can feel pain by 20 weeks gestation, and doctors who perform the procedure to discuss the availability of painkillers for fetuses.

Supporters said that legislation would provide important information to women seeking abortions — and that it could help stop abortions. Opponents say doctors don't agree on whether fetuses can feel pain at 20 weeks.

[my2centss]

As I have read in here, some people have abortions because they are not ready to support another life. What about those of us who aren't ready to support the baby boomers burden on the social security? Maybe abortion could stop at birth, and restart at 65. A life is a life.

[randalds]

Posted by ndg1979 at 12:33 AM : Jul 16, 2007

My how "Christian" of you.

[ndg1979]

I agree that abortion should be illegal unless the mother's life is in jeopardy. Bravo to Louisiana for taking the first good step forward for our country. And jeers to all the pro-choicers for taking our country back 200 years.

As for all those j*ck*ss*s who cry for a mothers right to chose - she should not be f*ck*ng having s*x in the first place if she cannot support the child. Also, tell the guys out there that if they cannot be real men and stand up to their responsibilities, then they will be castrated while the girl is having the abortion.

Or they can just do as the couple mentioned in another CBS News article did - STARVE THEM TO DEATH!

D*MB*SSES!

[pilgrimsway-2009]

I'll repeat myself. I never said no rights for women or man but Equal rights for All, including the babies you want to see eliminated. Does not these words sound familiar to you. We cannot be one sided and exclude the innocent babies. Because my friend if you do your just as guilty of what you were trying to accuse me of! Do you know of your rights as a citizen? This is my question to you, if you are an american. People who are not Americans, Do not want freedom and liberty for all. They just want freedom and liberty for themselves! which again is self centered. I see a double standard here. People who are self centered against our constitution give way to other ideologies, give way to other sects which can ruin our moral heritage. The buck stops here at our corner if we want peace and justice in the world. The thread that starts with destroying a life allows other threads to be destroyed allows even our constitution to be cast to ruin.

[pilgrimsway-2009]

I'll repeat myself. I never said no rights for women or man but Equal rights for All, including the babies you want to see eliminated. Does not these words sound familiar to you. We cannot be one sided and exclude the innocent babies. Because my friend if you do your just as guilty of what you were trying to accuse me of! Do you know of your rights as a citizen? This is my question to you, if you are an american. People who are not Americans, Do not want freedom and liberty for all. They just want freedom and liberty for themselves! which again is self centered.

[pilgrimsway-2009]

Lets not just crack the skull lets break the legs as well and also let us not to forget to decapitate these defenseless babies! Where Oh where will this stop. Where are the people who would defend these helpless babies? Why would mothers cater to being self centered? Why would the fathers continue to be irresponsible? Where is the consciousness of America? I thought this was the land of the free not the dawn of the dead! Where are the voices to silence these crimes that are horrendous in our generation? Our liberty bell rings with an inscription on it %u201CProclaim liberty throughout all lands and to all the inhabitants thereof." Will America let the Liberty bell ring for these defenseless babies? Is the garbage can the only place for our children%u2019s babies? Some people cry what about the life of the mother. In today%u2019s world that%u2019s like saying how many angels can dance on the tip of a needle. In the world reality we know of the technology health breakthroughs so it would be very rare. We all know abortion caters to choice, the choice of some choosing to be self centered. That%u2019s why the tables, law, should be turned against the mothers for the right of the unborn baby who knows not of someone choice but the right to love and be loved.

[pilgrimsway-2009]

I'll repeat myself. I never said no rights for women or man but Equal rights for All, including the babies you want to see eliminated. Does not these words sound familiar to you. We cannot be one sided and exclude the innocent babies. Because my friend if you do your just as guilty of what you were trying to accuse me of! Do you know of your rights as a citizen? This is my question to you.

[pilgrimsway-2009]

I never said no rights for women or man but Equal rights for All. Does not these words sound familiar to you. We cannot be one sided and exclude an innocent child. Because my friend if you do your just as guilty of what you were trying to accuse me of!

[cfin5]

Herr MCVet.....Your third reich posting themes remind me of the 47 million little children who have been saline scalded and slurped by vacuum to DEATH because you libs just had to expel God from school and imflame young adults hormones all the more in "Health Class" to make decisions they cant handle yet....In the 50's our worst problem in school was students putting their chewing gum under the desk. Since your liberal policies have reigned since then, our problems with violence have been getting better in school huh?.....Who's lifestyle polcies relate to the Reichs? What a bunch of "duffusictorians" you guys are.

[undermyboot]

That%u2019s why the tables, law, should be turned against the mothers for the right of the unborn baby who knows not of someone choice but the right to love and be loved.
Posted by pilgrimsway at 09:47 AM : Jul 15, 2007
---------
"Pilgrimsway"? LMFAO At least this troglodyte is honest about wanting to take us back 400 years. Yeah- great idea. Women who have no rights. Mothers who are baby factories worth less than a good horse, Witch burning (George Bush and his Christian TALIBAN must be salivating at THAT idea!), no modern medicine (none of that bothersome stem cell research), teaching Creationism in schools, the government as an arm of the local church, killing off the natives, stockades in the public square, life expectancy of 40 years, subsistence living, religious laws....

yes, these yahoo morons can't wait to send us back to the stone age. It is so much easier to control the population with made up fairy tales (christianity) and lies (Repuglicans like Bush and Rove) when the population is kept ignorant and the women are shut up and nothing more than baby factories.

You knuckle-dragging single-wide morons keep mouthing Faux-news (official government) propaganda. Every time we hear it we know all your tiny brains can handle is to listen are repeat whatever your masters tell you. What a disappointment you must be to the pigs that gave you birth. Time to "harvest" some meat. ROFLMFAO