Louisiana's Abortion Trigger Ban Just Got Blocked — Here’s What That Means
Despite the trigger law on abortion passing 16 years ago in Louisiana, the law has now been blocked temporarily.
Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, trigger laws surrounding access to abortion were already in effect in 13 states, including Louisiana. However, despite the trigger law on abortion passing 16 years ago in Louisiana, the law has been blocked temporarily. Here's what you need to know.
Louisiana’s first trigger law was passed in 2006, which criminalized essentially all abortions and had no exceptions to access. Earlier this year, when a draft copy of the Supreme Court's thoughts on Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization was leaked, Louisiana enacted two additional measures to ban abortion. The laws in the state now say it's illegal for any doctor to perform an abortion.
Following the high court's decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, Attorney General of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, announced the state's bans on abortion were in effect. However, lawyers for Hope Medical Group, an abortion clinic in the state, filed paperwork with the court asking the trigger laws to be halted.
Kathaleen Pittman and the Medical Students for Choice organization argued that the trigger bans are too vague from a constitutional perspective. The argument states the laws "fail to provide constitutionally guaranteed notice of exactly what conduct is prohibited, if any, and when." They also say the ban bans "improperly delegate legislative power...to everyone and no one at the same time."
The judge granted the request to halt the trigger laws in Louisiana, but only temporarily, according to CBS News. The court will hold a hearing on the request on July 8. Until then, abortions are still able to happen within the state.
Louisiana wasn't the only state with trigger laws to halt abortions that were taken to court. NBC News reports trigger laws are also being challenged in Texas, Arizona, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Idaho.
Utah Third District Judge Andrew Stone halted the trigger laws in the state immediately following a request filed by Planned Parenthood Associate of Utah. The court granted a 14-day temporary restraining order before making a decision.
