Today, the Abortion by Fraud Criminalization Act (SB 276) passed the Louisiana House of Representatives in a majority vote of 64-29. SB 276 creates the crime of coerced abortion by means of fraud.

Sen. Pressly was inspired to author legislation after his sister, Catherine Herring, was poisoned by her former husband with abortion-inducing drugs. He attempted to give his then-wife seven spiked drinks with the abortion pill combination, mifepristone and misoprostol. Herring’s daughter survived, however, was born 10-weeks early and attends therapy 8-times a week.

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Sen. Pressly’s intention was to punish predators like his sister’s former husband and keep the pills out of the hands of those who should not have them. In order to accomplish this, Sen. Pressly added an amendment to include abortion pills on the Uniform Controlled Substance Abuse under Schedule IV.

Sarah Zagorski, the Communications Director for Louisiana Right to Life, said, “We are grateful that our legislators recognize the dangers of these medications being for sale on the street and online for anyone to abuse. We thank the House for taking action to protect women like Catherine Herring and keeping these abortion pills out of the hands of predators who want to harm women and unborn babies.”

Zagorski added, “We applaud Representative Julie Emerson for her steadfast defense of SB 276. We know this is a step toward protecting Louisiana women and girls.”

It is important to note that neither the State Medical Society nor the Louisiana Hospital Association opposed SB 276.

Read Louisiana Right to Life’s Investigative Report: The Rampant Abuse of Abortion Pills.