Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has signed into law a new “trigger law” that would outlaw abortions in Louisiana should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade.
The legislation does not criminally punish pregnant women, but doctors or others who perform abortion could be sentenced to up to 10 years.
The bill replaces a 2006 trigger law that would have banned abortion without exception.
Monroe Senator Katrina Jackson’s SB 342, now signed by the governor, does not contain exception for rape and incest, but there are exceptions for medical causes, such as ectopic pregnancies, stillbirth diagnoses, and to protect the health of the mother.
In a written statement, Governor Edwards says while he is pro-life, he would have preferred the bill had exceptions for cases of rape or incest. He says vetoing the bill would not have accomplished that end.