The House Criminal Justice Committee voted against two measures that sought to clarify medical exceptions to the state’s abortion ban. One of the bills is sponsored by state representative Mary Dubuisson, a Republican from Slidell, who says there is vague, non-medical language in the state’s abortion ban that gets in the way of OBGYNs treating their patients who have complicated pregnancies. Pro-choice attorney Gwyneth O’ Neal….
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Several lawmakers rejected the idea that the state’s abortion ban language is vague or unclear. Haughton Representative Dodie Horton….
Cut 10 (07) “…and what’s needed.”
So none of the bills aimed at softening the state’s abortion ban will make out of committee this session.

House-approved legislation that would allow the pregnant mother of a child to recover half the out-of-pocket, pregnancy-related medical expenses from the biological father was approved by a Senate Committee. Abita Springs Representative Larry Frieman says he’s trying to protect pregnant women.
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After the baby is born, the mother would have two years to recover these expenses. The measure heads to the Senate floor.

The state Department of Children and Family Services has received its share of criticism for the handling of child welfare cases, but the state agency has won the Government Changemaker award for how it uses technology to keep families who are receiving benefits informed. DCFS Secretary Terri Ricks….
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Ricks says they used text messaging to inform SNAP recipients about a tax credit that resulted in over four-thousand Louisianans claiming over four million in tax credits.