Louisiana Is About To Pass A Heinous Abortion Law, And You're Not Gonna Like Who's Behind It
On Wednesday, the Louisiana state Senate voted 24-1 to outlaw abortions after 15 weeks.
Once signed, the bill will only go into effect if federal courts uphold Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban -- which, fingers crossed, seems pretty unlikely.
Abortion rights advocates in the state, of course, are not pleased:
“Banning access to abortion at 15 weeks is a flat-out violation of Roe v. Wade and Louisiana knows it,” said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, referencing the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that legalized abortion. “So little faith does Louisiana have in the constitutionality of their abortion ban that it won’t go into effect unless they get an OK from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.”
The bill's state Senate sponsor is one John Milkovich, who hopes to see a prison term of two years given to any doctor who performs an abortion after this point, and would like to make abortion completely illegal to begin with.
Milkovich (not Malkovich) is rabidly pro-life, pro-gun and a small government enthusiast. He voted against including LGBT-friendly language in marriage laws. He once killed a bill for a sexual survey of teenagers meant to assist the state in understanding what risks teenagers in the state were taking, on account of how it would make them slutty.
"Is this destroying the innocence of our children or grandchildren?" he said, rhetorically. "Our children are already in a toxic maelstrom of immorality," and lawmakers shouldn't make it worse, he said.
Teenagers having babies account for nine percent of the births in the state of Louisiana, which ranks seventh overall in teen pregnancies, so it's hardly not as if they don't have a bit of a problem there.
Milkovich has also voted in favor of bills requiring schools to put up signs saying "In God We Trust," allowing teachers to pray with students, and requiring creationism to be taught in schools.
He is also, inexfuckingplicably , a Democrat. One who apparently did not get the memo about the whole Dixiecrat thing having run its course decades ago.
Oh, and so is Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, who is about to sign the damn thing. How is that for burying the lede?
Get it? It's from "Being John Malkovich." Also I need a drink now.
Both of them are up for re-election in 2019.
Now, I am not opposed to people who oppose abortion, personally, running for office as Democrats -- so long as they don't try to do anything legislatively about it. I think that it is entirely possible for someone to oppose abortion on a personal basis, and also not think that the government should interfere with the right to choose. In fact, I think a lot of people feel that way. However, when we have a situation like this, where Democratic officials are proposing anti-choice laws as strict or stricter than Republicans are ... what the hell is the point of them not being Republicans? Literally any Democrat who voted for this bill must be primaried.
Especially Milkovich who, clearly, is ideologically a very conservative Republican. I looked and looked and could not find one single instance of him supporting one single thing that anyone, in the broadest reading, would associate with the Democratic Party. He is appalling. This bill is appalling, and it is unacceptable. It would be unacceptable coming from Republicans, and it's extremely unacceptable coming from Democrats.
[T alking Points Memo ]
Wonkette is independent and fully funded by readers like you! Click here to tip us!