logo
Louisiana lawmakers reject adding exceptions for some rape cases to abortion ban

Louisiana lawmakers reject adding exceptions for some rape cases to abortion ban

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — For the third consecutive year, Louisiana lawmakers rejected a bill that would have allowed young victims of rape to get an abortion.
In an emotional and religious-laced legislative committee meeting on Tuesday legislators objected to adding rape, in cases where the girl is under the age of 17 and impregnated as a result of the sexual offense, to the narrow list of exceptions for one of the strictest abortion bans in the country.
'If we're truly pro-life, we should also be fighting for the life of those children who are raped and molested,' said the author of the bill, Democratic Rep. Delisha Boyd, who argued that under Louisiana's current law young victims of rape are forced to carry babies to term.
Among those who opposed the proposed exception was Democratic Rep. Patricia Moore, who spoke publicly about being conceived after her mother was raped as a young teenager. While speaking against the bill, Moore discussed her religious beliefs and said she has struggled with her decision on the measure. Even ahead of the meeting she said she asked God to 'show me something in the Bible that can address this.'
Moore said in the area of Louisiana that she represents, she is aware of a nine-year-old who is pregnant; 'I'm struggling because life and death, according to our Heavenly Father it's in his hands. I'm like, 'God are you wanting this child... to have a baby? What good can come out of this?''
'I know we got to protect our children, but to this point right now, I cannot vote 'Yes' because I'm constantly hearing that God would take a bad situation and turn it into good,' Moore said.
Like Moore, Boyd has publicly shared that she was born after her mother was raped as a teen. Boyd was born in 1969, four years before abortion became legal under the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade ruling.
More than five decades later, rape survivors in Louisiana who become pregnant find themselves in a similar situation to Boyd's mother: forced to carry the baby to term in a state that has one of the country's highest maternal mortality rates, or to travel to another state where abortion is still legal.
Boyd said while she is grateful to be here, her mother and Moore's mother did not a have a choice to get an abortion in Louisiana.
'I know the Bible. But I also know God gives people the ability to do right and wrong,' Boyd said, urging her lawmakers to give victims of rape and their families the ability to choose if they get an abortion in Louisiana.
The bill failed 3-9, with two Democrats siding with Republicans on the committee.
In the reliably red state of Louisiana, which is firmly ensconced in the Bible Belt and where even some Democrats oppose abortions, adding exceptions to the near-total abortion ban has been an ongoing battle for advocates — with similar measures failing the last few years. Currently, of the 12 states enforcing abortion bans at all stages of pregnancy, four have exceptions in cases of rape.
A study released by the Journal of the American Medical Association found that between July 2022 and January 2024, there were more than 64,000 pregnancies resulting from rape in states where abortion has been banned in all or most cases.
Louisiana's abortion law went into effect in 2022 following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, ending a half-century of the nationwide right to abortion. The only exceptions to the ban are if there is substantial risk of death or impairment to the mother if she continues the pregnancy or in the case of 'medically futile' pregnancies — when the fetus has a fatal abnormality.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump Honors 81st Anniversary Of Guam's Liberation From Japan
Trump Honors 81st Anniversary Of Guam's Liberation From Japan

Yahoo

time5 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Trump Honors 81st Anniversary Of Guam's Liberation From Japan

President Donald Trump marked the 81st anniversary of Guam's liberation from Japanese occupation with a message honoring the American forces who reclaimed the Pacific territory on July 21, 1944. The Presidential statement emphasized America's continued commitment to defending its territories and interests through military strength. 'As Imperial Japanese forces tried to hold their ground, they struggled to withstand the full might of the U.S. Armed Forces,' Trump said in his White House message. The battle for Guam lasted three weeks across challenging terrain. American forces fought through jungles, caves, and rugged hills to regain control of the strategically vital island. The victory positioned U.S. forces within striking distance of ending the war in the Pacific. The liberation came at a steep cost. More than 1,200 service members and over 1,000 Guam residents died during the campaign. Trump characterized the 1944 victory as 'a bold reassertion of American sovereignty at a time when our future and our freedom were in peril.' 'Under my leadership, the United States remains committed to upholding a foreign policy of peace through strength,' the president stated. He pledged that America would 'never waver in defending our interests, our citizens, our territory, and our glorious way of life from all enemies, foreign and domestic.' The liberation ended nearly three years of Japanese occupation that began December 10, 1941. Guam served as a crucial base for subsequent American operations in the Pacific theater.

GOP Senator Gets Fooled By Obviously Fake Fed Chair Resignation Letter
GOP Senator Gets Fooled By Obviously Fake Fed Chair Resignation Letter

Yahoo

time5 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

GOP Senator Gets Fooled By Obviously Fake Fed Chair Resignation Letter

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) posted — and then deleted — what appeared at first glance Tuesday to be a resignation letter from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, President Donald Trump's nemesis of the past several months. Trump has repeatedly argued that Powell should either lower interest rates across the country or resign. He has gone so far as to hint at — and then backtrack on — the idea that he may fire Powell himself. The letter briefly shared by Lee, however, is clearly a fake, and Powell is not going anywhere immediately. The formatting of the letter is strange, with line breaks at odd intervals. But most tellingly, the words around an official-looking blue seal stamped to the letter appear to read: 'OEOD OF GOVERYAEB EIREBAL RESERVE SIEIVA.' ADVERTISEMENT In other words, gibberish. Lee told a reporter for The Hilland others that he swiftly deleted the image after realizing he had not confirmed its authenticity. A spokesperson for the senator did not immediately respond to HuffPost's request for comment. Trump appointed Powell as chair of the Fed back in 2017, although he has tried to distance himself from that decision in recent days. Sen. Mike Lee tweeted (and appears to have deleted) what he appears to believe is a resignation letter (??) from Powell — Jordain Carney (@jordainc) July 22, 2025 Related...

Marine veteran addresses Congress after dad forcibly detained by immigration agents
Marine veteran addresses Congress after dad forcibly detained by immigration agents

Yahoo

time5 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Marine veteran addresses Congress after dad forcibly detained by immigration agents

A Marine veteran whose father was detained by federal immigration agents while at his landscaping job in California last month told Congress members on Tuesday that his father is "traumatized" by what happened and charged that the immigration system is "broken." Customs and Border Patrol agents arrested Narciso Barranco, who is undocumented, in Santa Ana on June 21, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Video of him being forcibly detained showed masked agents holding him down on the street and repeatedly punching him after he ran from agents. "My father has no criminal record and should have never been attacked by these agents," his son, Alejandro Barranco, told Democratic members of the House Committee on Homeland Security during an oversight forum examining the Trump administration's detention and deportation practices on Tuesday. "He supported his family and paid taxes. He is a human being, but he was not treated with the basic dignity he deserved." MORE: Millions of undocumented immigrants will no longer be eligible for bond hearings, according to ICE memo ADVERTISEMENT Alejandro Barranco said his father, who has two other sons who are currently serving as Marines, is "deeply devoted to this country." The veteran said he believes the current immigration system is "broken." 'Cruel and indiscriminate raids are tearing families apart and punishing hard-working people who contribute to our communities every day," Alejandro Barranco said. "My father, like so many others, deserves a fair chance to stay in this country he calls home. The country is better because of people like my dad. It is time our policies reflected that." Damian Dovarganes/AP - PHOTO: Alejandro Barranco conducts an interview as he arrives to check on his father Narciso, who was detained by federal agents, outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, June 23, 2025, in Los Angeles. Narciso Barranco has since been released from custody bond but is "still scared," his son said. "He's still traumatized from everything that happened," Alejandro Barranco said. The Department of Homeland Security said following the arrest that Narciso Barranco tried to evade law enforcement, "swung a weed whacker directly at an agent's face" and resisted commands. ADVERTISEMENT "The agents took appropriate action and followed their training to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve the situation in a manner that prioritizes the safety of the public and our officers," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement at the time. A controversial and violent takedown caught on camera shows masked border patrol agents repeatedly punching an undocumented immigrant after he's been detained. The agents claim the father of three marines threatened them with a weed whacker. @TrevorLAult has details. — World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) June 24, 2025 Alejandro Barranco said during Tuesday's forum that his father got scared after the masked agents approached him while he was at work. "As he worked, he noticed masked men approaching him, and was quickly surrounded by men who did not identify themselves and never presented any type of warrant," he said. "Terrified, he ran. They chased him through the parking lot and into a crowded street. They pointed guns at him, pepper-sprayed him. They tackled him to the ground and kicked him." MORE: Newlywed Palestinian woman released from ICE custody after months in detention ADVERTISEMENT When asked his thoughts about Marines being sent to assist in immigration operations, Alejandro said he believes many would feel "confused, hurt and just sad about everything that is going on." "I served with a lot of Marines who are of Latino backgrounds and whose parents and family members, some of them are undocumented," he said. When asked by Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., if he was still loyal to the U.S., the Marine veteran replied, "Yes, of course." "I decided to join the Marine Corps out of the love I have for this country and to bring honor to my family name," Alejandro Barranco said. "When I told my dad I was going to enlist, he cried with pride. He told me to give everything I had, because we should do anything and everything to give back to our country." Narciso Barranco was released from federal custody on July 15 and has an immigration status hearing in August, according to Orange City Council officials.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store