Posted on 04/23/2010 6:12:08 AM PDT by Ebenezer
BATON ROUGE -- The House voted 76-13 Thursday to prohibit insurance companies from paying claims for "elective abortions" in Louisiana, sending the measure to the Senate for more debate.
The bill would allow coverage only for abortions necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant woman, said Rep. Frank Hoffmann, R-West Monroe, the chief sponsor of House Bill 1247, a measure that has the backing of Gov. Bobby Jindal.
Rep. Juan LaFonta, D-New Orleans, tried to change the bill to make it apply to some limited procedures such as allowing a doctor to remove a fetus that could not survive outside the womb, but that attempt failed 19-65. Two subsequent LaFonta amendments also failed, none getting more than 21 votes.
"Abortion is not like any other issue," Hoffmann said. "We are here to protect the mother and the unborn child. This bill will explicitly prohibit health plans that cover elective abortion" -- whether through private companies or government-backed plans.
Hoffmann said the bill would allow an insurance company to pay for delivery of a stillbirth but not to remove a fetus that is not deemed viable outside of the womb. Removing a stillborn child, Hoffmann said, "is a different procedure; it is not an abortion."
Hoffman said that his bill would not allow "elective abortion" coverage in pregnancies that result from rape or incest, and the House rejected attempts by LaFonta to amend those provisions in the bill.
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
Pelican State ping
Thank you Lord for protecting the unborn and our state from an abomination. Remembering “The Silent Scream”
Does anyone know the prospects in the State Senate for concurrence? Jindal apparently approves and would sign the legislation.
I would never say this is a slam-dunk; but I can say with pride that Louisiana, despite all her faults, may be the most pro-life state in the nation.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.