Louisiana Senate panel advances 15-week abortion ban

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – Abortions after 15 weeks would be banned in Louisiana under a proposal to enact one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the U.S.

A committee voted 4-1 Tuesday to send the proposal to a later debate of the full state Senate.

Democratic Sen. John Milkovich says his bill would protect the unborn.

However, committee members debated whether it would unintentionally weaken Louisiana’s existing anti-abortion laws . Lawmakers urged Milkovich to continue working on the bill.

Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards has said he’s inclined to sign it into law.

Mississippi enacted a 15-week abortion ban in March, and it was immediately challenged by the state’s only abortion clinic. A federal judge put the Mississippi law on hold, and the state faces a long legal battle.

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Senate Bill 181: www.legis.la.gov

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