Up In the Air: Louisiana Abortion Hangs By a Thread

Arguably the most controversial topic in the United States, the argument surrounding abortions has been getting more and more intense as states with a Republican majority have begun creating laws that effectively end the practice. Currently nine states have created laws like Louisiana’s Heartbeat Bill and Act 620 that either make it illegal to perform an abortion once a heartbeat is detectable or force abortion clinics to conform to unreasonable requirements.
The goal of these laws is to make abortion clinics close and effectively end the practice in Louisiana. The bigger picture though is that Republicans are attempting to use laws such as these to force the Supreme Court to review the landmark case of Roe vs. Wade that ensures the legality of abortions. With a Republican majority in the Supreme Court, Republicans are hoping to overturn Roe vs. Wade and make abortions illegal across the country in one fell swoop. 
According to a CNN article, as Louisiana Democratic Gov. John Bell Edwards was signing the Heartbeat Bill into law, he stated that “I have been true to my word and my beliefs on this issue…sincere belief that being pro-life means more than just being pro-birth.” Adding to his statement, “As I prepare to sign this bill, I call on the overwhelming bipartisan majority of legislators who voted for it to join me in continuing to build a better Louisiana that cares for the least among us and provides more opportunity for everyone.”
Act 620 has not been in use since 2014 due to its questionable legality as it requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. However, there are now governmental officials who are fighting to have it reinstated. If the Supreme Court decides to allow the law to be used again then it will have dire consequences for women of Louisiana. According to an article from WAFB, Nancy Northup, the CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, states that “Abortion access in Louisiana is already hanging by a thread. The number of abortion clinics has fallen from seven in 2011 to just three today. If this law is allowed to take effect, there will be only one doctor left to provide abortion care for the approximately one million women of reproductive age in Louisiana.” 
Organizations such as Planned Parenthood, Women with a Vision, Louisiana Right-to-Life, and so many others fight and protest so women can remain control over what they do with their bodies. Makdlia Johnson, a 23-year-old Law student, thinks that “It shouldn’t be the choice of others. Nobody but that person will take care of the child.”
As of now, there haven’t been any updates on the decision to reinstate Act 620, and the Heartbeat Bill will not go into effect until the federal appeals court decides whether the law is or isn’t constitutional.