Louisiana’s small town passed a new ordinance allowing residents to sue anyone who helps someone get an abortion. This is similar to Texas’s law that was implemented last year.
The Pollock, Louisiana ordinance which passed through a 4-1 vote in the town councilThe town bans abortion within its boundaries. Even though there are currently no abortion clinics in Pollock, a town of fewer than five hundredThe ordinance prohibits the shipment to residents of abortion medication and imposes severe penalties on anyone who assists an individual in getting an abortion. If the coverage they offer covers abortion services, private companies cannot provide insurance to employees.
The town council acknowledged that the ordinance’s provisions could not be enforced unless the Supreme Court ruled. Rules to be overturned Roe v. Wade Later this year. Private action is currently not possible to enforce parts of the Pollock ordinance.
For example, a resident of the community. is allowed to sue another resident if they help someone get an abortion elsewhere — similar to the Texas law that passed last year, which The Supreme Court allowed the Supreme Court to keep in placeWhile it is being litigated in lower courts. Residents can sue others for $10,000 in statutory damages, as well as additional compensatory damages “if the plaintiff has suffered injury or harm from the defendant’s conduct,” including “emotional distress” that is the result of a person getting an abortion, the statute says.
The ordinance prohibits abortion at any stage in a pregnancy. The ordinance allows exceptions for life-threatening pregnancies but requires that those individuals provide evidence that they required the procedure to avoid their death.
Mayor Douglas Beavers claimed that he believes God chose him to enforce such a rule. Councilwoman Cindy Dickey voted against the ordinance as she believed in God.
Dickey also supports measures to restrict abortion access. But “it’s between me and God,” she said regarding her “no” vote. “What God and I talk about, that is a complete separation of church and state. I think a lot of things in this rule are good, but the resolution goes way too far.”
Pollock is located at Grant Parish, which is a deep-red area of the state. Residents in this parish voted overwhelmingly for Trump in the 2020 presidential election86.4 percent of voters cast a vote for Trump, and 12.3 percent voted for Biden.
Officials in Pollock may have tried to imitate the Texas-style Texas law. Even in states with laws protecting abortion rights, jurisdictions within their boundaries could try to limit access for their residents to make it more difficult for those seeking the procedure.
