The governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, has just signed one of the most restrictive abortion measures in the country — a ban on terminations after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The most extraordinary thing? Edwards is a Democrat.
Under the new law, a person who “commits the crime of abortion” after 15 weeks could be handed a two-year prison sentence.
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The bill was sponsored by a fellow pro-life Democrat, state Senator John Milkovich, and has been celebrated by pro-life groups who are thrilled at the bipartisan approach to such a crucial issue. In a modern America where the term “Democrat” is virtually synonymous with “pro-abortion,” Edwards and Mikovich are vital to the pro-life cause.
“We thank all pro-life lawmakers in Louisiana — especially pro-life Democrats like Governor Edwards and State Senator [John] Milkovich (D) for passing this legislation. They followed through on their pro-life principles and united across party lines to protect unborn children,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, as reported by National Review. “Louisiana is leading the way in the bipartisan effort to bring our nation’s laws into line with basic human decency.”
“The farther along the pregnancies, the more risks to the mother and the more tortuous it is for the babies,” Milkovich said, according to Live Action. “They are small, but they are babies, and they are being killed.”
Pro-life Democrats are something of a rare breed these days, with just a handful supporting tighter rules on abortion.
“[S]ometimes it’s easier for those folks who feel like we do on this issue to remain silent,” Edwards said of his Democrat colleagues in 2016. “But remaining silent isn’t going to get the job done.”
“The Democratic Party has never been very welcoming to pro-life Democrats,” former Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak, a Democrat who led the charge against the Affordable Care Act over abortion restrictions back in 2009, told VICE News earlier this year. “They’re even less warm now, and the relationship has gone south.”
So far, 20 states have adopted 15-week abortion bans.