2023 LA Governor's race: on Abortion

Buddy Roemer: Vetoed abortion bill because no exception for rape & incest

Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer vetoed what has been called the strictest anti-abortion bill in the nation, setting the stage for a fight to override his action in the Legislature. The Louisiana House of Representatives voted 73 to 31 to override the veto. Senators voted 21 to 18 to adjourn rather than vote on an override.

The bill allows abortions only to save the mother’s life. Roemer, a Democrat, objected that the bill did not allow abortions in cases of rape and incest.

Rep. Mitch Landrieu who said he opposed the measure because it could provide for the criminal prosecution of women who seek abortions, said abortion opponents "led their flock off of a cliff."

"They knew from the beginning that, if the rape and incest exceptions weren't added, the bill would be vetoed and that they probably didn't have enough votes for an override," Landrieu said. "They were irresponsible, and I think they let a lot of their followers down by pursuing a faulty strategy."

Source: Los Angeles Times on 2023 Louisiana Gubernatorial race Jul 7, 1990

Mitch Landrieu: Opposed anti-abortion measure including criminal prosecution

The bill allows abortions only to save the mother’s life. Roemer, a Democrat, objected that the bill did not allow abortions in cases of rape and incest.

Rep. Mitch Landrieu who said he opposed the measure because it could provide for the criminal prosecution of women who seek abortions, said abortion opponents "led their flock off of a cliff."

Source: Los Angeles Times on 2023 Louisiana Gubernatorial race Jul 7, 1990

Shawn Wilson: Personally opposes but won't impose his beliefs on others

Wilson didn't describe himself as being "pro-choice" like abortion rights supporters typically do.

The Democrat said he personally opposes abortion except in cases where a pregnant person was a victim of rape or incest--or their health is at risk. But he also believes his personal beliefs shouldn't be imposed on others. Wilson said he is "not interested in preventing folks from making decisions that are private," and "I dare not question their doctor's expertise."

Source: Louisiana Illuminator on 2023 Louisiana Gubernatorial race Mar 14, 2023

Jeff Landry: A fearless champion for Louisiana's right-to-life laws

Louisiana is proudly one of the most pro-life states in the nation, with over 70% of Louisianans supporting the rights of the unborn. Jeff Landry is a fearless champion for Louisiana's right-to-life laws and leads the national conversation to support the most vulnerable among us. In Congress, Jeff earned a 100% rating from National Right to Life. As our Attorney General, Jeff Landry has continued the vital work of protecting the unborn. Source: 2023 Louisiana Gubernatorial campaign website JeffLandry.com Mar 21, 2023

John Schroder: Opposes state ballot initiative to override abortion ban

Republican Treasurer John Schroder agrees the legislature's abortion ban is reflective of what voters in the state want and he's against a ballot initiative. "I see no reason to do that. This is the process we live by, and the people are represented by every legislator that they send to that building both in the House and Senate," said Schroder. Source: Louisiana Radio Network on 2023 Louisiana Gubernatorial race Sep 10, 2023

Sharon Hewitt: A leader in passing the state's strict abortion ban

Hewitt also was a leader in passing the state's strict abortion ban. When asked if she'd be open to allowing exceptions for rape and incest into the law, she said she hasn't seen a bill allowing it that she agrees with. "I have not seen any other legislation or any other bills proposed that I thought did a better job than what we have in place right now," Hewitt said. Source: Baton Rouge Proud on 2023 Louisiana Gubernatorial race Aug 14, 2023

Shawn Wilson: Study impact of abortion laws on our medical schools

Work with doctors to protect women & children by clarifying existing laws and including exceptions for rape and incest, fetal abnormalities, medical complications, and related issues
Work with healthcare professionals and universities to study the impact of the abortion trigger ban laws on our medical schools and residency programs to determine if students will still choose to study and/or practice medicine in our state
Reverse the trend of Louisiana's troubling maternal mortality rates with swift interventions
Support families at and around the time of a child's birth through early childhood
Prioritize preventative care, as well as social and economic supports infants and children need to thrive

Source: 2023 Louisiana Governor campaign website WilsonForLA.com Oct 5, 2023

The above quotations are from 2023 Louisiana Gubernatorial race: debates and news coverage. Click here for definitions & background information on Abortion. Click here for other issues (main summary page). Click here for more quotes by John Bel Edwards on Abortion.
*Candidates and political leaders on Abortion:*
*Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:* GA:Chambliss(R) IA:Harkin(D) MI:Levin(D) MT:Baucus(D) NE:Johanns(R) OK:Coburn(R) SD:Johnson(D) WV:Rockefeller(D) *Resigned from 113th House:* AL-1:Jo Bonner(R) FL-19:Trey Radel(R) LA-5:Rod Alexander(R) MA-5:Ed Markey(D) MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R) NC-12:Melvin Watt(D) SC-1:Tim Scott(R)	*Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:* AR-4:Tom Cotton(R) GA-1:Jack Kingston(R) GA-10:Paul Broun(R) GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R) HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D) IA-1:Bruce Braley(D) LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R) ME-2:Mike Michaud(D) MI-14:Gary Peters(D) MT-0:Steve Daines(R) OK-5:James Lankford(R) PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D) TX-36:Steve Stockman(R) WV-2:Shelley Capito(R)	*Retired House as of Jan. 2015:* AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R) AR-2:Tim Griffin(R) CA-11:George Miller(D) CA-25:Howard McKeon(R) CA-33:Henry Waxman(D) CA-45:John Campbell(R) IA-3:Tom Latham(R) MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R) NC-6:Howard Coble(R) NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D) NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R) NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D) NY-21:Bill Owens(D) PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R) UT-4:Jim Matheson(D) VA-8:Jim Moran(D) VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Oct 14, 2023