Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards turns his back on women and Democratic Party’s core values
For Immediate Release: May 30, 2019
Contact: [email protected]
After Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards signed an unconstitutional abortion ban, which outlaws abortion before many women know they are pregnant, NARAL Pro-Choice America Political Director Nicole Brener-Schmitz issued the following statement:
“Governor John Bel Edwards turned his back on the women of Louisiana today at a time when they needed him most. As anti-choice politicians pass dangerous and unconstitutional bans on abortion before many women know they’re pregnant, people in Louisiana and across the country are watching closely. He won’t get a pass just because he is a Democrat.
“Women are the base of the Democratic Party, leading the charge for equality by fighting for reproductive freedom. Governor Edwards, and any other elected official attempting to use political overreach to roll back our rights, is mistaken to think our fundamental freedoms are up for debate. We are the majority, and if you’re not fighting alongside us, you don’t deserve to represent the American people.”
Louisiana’s law is part of a new wave of extreme bans on abortion sweeping the country, restricting reproductive freedom and representing an all-out assault on abortion access. It comes on the heels of Alabama’s governor signing a total abortion ban into law, with no exceptions for rape or incest, and Georgia’s governor signing a bill that makes abortion illegal before many women even know they’re pregnant and that could throw doctors in jail and lead to women being investigated or prosecuted. Overall, thirty states have introduced, passed, or signed into law bans on abortion this year alone.
NARAL led a coalition of 80 partner organizations in a National Day of Action to Stop the Bans, which included over 500 events in all 50 states plus DC and Puerto Rico, and in which tens of thousands participated.
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NARAL Pro-Choice America and its network of state affiliates and chapters are dedicated to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom for all. For more than 50 years, NARAL has worked to guarantee that every woman has the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. Since 1969, NARAL has made history, grown to over 2 million members, and met the moments that have defined this fight with action, power and freedom. In recognition of its work defending our constitutional right to choose, Fortune Magazine described NARAL as “one of the top 10 advocacy groups in America.”