Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards Thursday made good on his promise to sign the bill that bans abortion after a heartbeat can be detected. Louisiana joins five other states in enacting new abortion restrictions this year.
The Louisiana law will not go into effect until the courts weigh in on a similar law passed in Mississippi. Federal district courts in both states are subject to decision by the 5th Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals, so the Louisiana law will wait until that court has its say. The Mississippi law is already on hold pending further court action.
The Louisiana law allows for exceptions if a pregnant woman's health is at serious risk, but makes no exceptions for pregnancies that result from rape or incest.
Edwards, a Democrat, is an outlier in a party that is largely pro-choice. His pro-life record extends back to his eight years in the state legislature prior to becoming governor in 2016.
The bills author, Louisiana Senator John Milkovich of Shreveport, is also a Democrat.
