SCOTUS draft opinion on Roe v. Wade sparks protests around the country

Protests around the country were ignited by the leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court on Roe v. Wade.

Damien Henderson, USA TODAY

A Louisiana bill that could charge people who have abortions and those who help them terminate pregnancy with murder has garnered national attention.

The bill comes as the debate surrounding abortion heats up following a leaked opinion from U.S. Supreme Court JusticeSamuel Alito that seems to indicate the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which provides abortion rights.

The bill, which says the unborn should be protected,was moved out of committee earlier this month and heads to the House floor for debate.

Here's what we know about the bill.

House Bill 813, sponsored by Rep. Danny McCormick (R-Oil City) andnamed the "Abolition of Abortion in Louisiana Act of 2022," would define "life" as beginning at fertilization.

It would allow state prosecutors to bring homicide charges against anyone who terminates a pregnancy, including medical personnel.

The bill defines a person as a "human being from the moment of fertilization" and an unborn child as "an individual human being from fertilization until birth."

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The bill also directs the state to ignore the U.S. Supreme Court if it disagrees with any high court decision on abortion. It declares that any federal statute, regulation, treaty, executive order or court ruling that tries to supersede the bill's changes would be in violation of the U.S. and Louisiana constitutions and therefore void.

Any Louisiana judge who tries to enjoin, stay, overrule or void any provision of the bill would be subject to impeachment or removal if the bill passes.

The entire text can be read here.

If the bill were to pass, it could criminalize some forms of birth control, emergency contraception and in vitro fertilization (IVF), a complex series of procedures that help with fertility.

The original text of the bill would define "life" as beginning at fertilization.

Fertilization usually happens within 24 hours after sexual intercourse, but the womanmust be ovulating at the time. If ovulation is not happening at that time,fertilization can still occur up to six days after intercourse because the sperm cells can stay in the uterusand fallopian tube for that long.

Birth control works by using hormones to safely stop ovulation. If that doesn't work, birth control will prevent sperm from joining the egg and if that fails, it will thin the uterine wall to prevent implantation.

Plan B and other forms of emergency contraceptives work similarly to standard birth control.

IVF works by collecting mature eggs from ovaries and fertilizing them with sperm in a lab, according to Mayo Clinic. The fertilized embryo or embryos are then transferred to a uterus. The number of embryos transferred depends on the age and number of eggs retrieved.

Shreveport doctor explains: What's the difference in Plan B, birth controls pill?

'We can't wait on the Supreme Court': In Louisiana, abortion could become a crime of murder

McCormick told the USA TODAY Network he doesn't think there's a difference between a womanaborting herpregnancy or killing her2-year-old child.

"Murder is murder,"McCormicksaid."It's real simple. We're having the debate about whether the pre-born have the same protections as the born."

McCormick said the goal of the bill isn't to put people in jail but to "providethe same protections to the pre-born as the born."

Despite abortion restricting bills usually finding support in the Louisiana Legislature, many lawmakers and an anti-abortion group think McCormick's bill goes too far.

"I'm unapologetically pro-life from womb to tomb, but I can't support a bill that could charge the mother with murder; that bill is intense," said Democratic Sen. Katrina Jackson of Monroe.

Jacksonauthorized a constitutional amendment declaring there is no right to and no funding of abortion that was overwhelmingly supported by voters in 2020.

Louisiana Right to Life, the state's largest anti-abortion rights advocate, came out in opposition to McCormick's bill. The group argued it isunnecessary and contradictsits goals.

"Our position has always been women should not be treated as criminals," said Benjamin Clapper, executive director of Louisiana Right to Life, in an interview with USA Today Network. "We believe Louisiana is already prepared to protect every baby from abortion if the Supreme Court overturns (Roe v. Wade)."

More: Louisiana residents more supportive of abortion than previously, survey suggests

Right to Life: Louisiana Right to Life opposes bill that could charge women who have abortion with murder

The bill advanced earlier this month from the House Criminal Justice Committee on a 7-2 vote. It is scheduled to be taken up Thursday on the House floor.

The action taken on the bill by the Louisiana legislature can be tracked on the state's website.

Contact Ashley White at adwhite@theadvertiser.com or on Twitter @AshleyyDi. Reporters Greg Hilburn and Meredith G. White contributed to this report.

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What we know about Louisiana abortion bill to charge mothers with murder - Daily Advertiser