Bills for tighter restrictions on abortion pass

BATON ROUGE — A day after the House voted overwhelmingly to ban abortions after 15 weeks of conception, two other abortion-restrictive measures advanced unanimously Wednesday on the House floor.

One bill aims to include the termination of pregnancy by illegal interference and feticide as “crimes of violence” under Louisiana state law.

The measure would prohibit the physical force or threats of violence with the intent to compel a pregnant woman to undergo an abortion against her will.

Under the proposed law, an individual could face up to five years of imprisonment and a $5,000 fine for coercing an abortion. The bill heads back to the Senate for consideration of changes made in the House.

The other bill would grant the Louisiana Department of Health authority to suspend or revoke the license of an outpatient abortion facility for falsifying or destroying patient files.

The bill now heads to the governor’s desk.

Sen. John Milkovich, D-Shreveport, filed the two successful bills, along with the 15-week abortion ban bill that would create one of the nation’s strictest anti-abortion laws. Milkovich has stated that his goal is to outlaw abortion in Louisiana.

Rep. Frank Hoffman, R-West Monroe, presented the bill on the House floor. He said that advancing the bill would fortify Louisiana’s pro-life stance.