The U-S Supreme Court rules against a Louisiana law requiring admitting privileges at nearby hospitals for abortion doctors. Jeff Palermo has reaction from both sides of the issue…
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The state health department reported 845 new COVID-19 cases today as the state surpasses 57,000 cases.
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The U-S Supreme Court has ruled against an abortion law passed in Louisiana requiring admitting privileges at a nearby hospital for abortion doctors. Monroe Senator Katrina Jackson authored the 2014 legislation and says the nation’s highest court struck down a law that would have protected the health of a pregnant woman
If the measure became law, it would have shut down two of the state’s three remaining abortion clinics. Associate Director for the Louisiana Right to Life Angie Thomas says Louisiana law requires admitting privileges for many doctors who perform outpatient surgeries, but not abortion providers…
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The decision was 5-4 against Louisiana’s law. The Supreme Court also struck down a similar law out of Texas in 2016. The Center for Reproductive Rights filed suit preventing Louisiana’s law from going into effect. C-P-R CEO Nancy Northup is delighted with today’s ruling…
The Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport and the Baton Rouge Delta Clinic would have closed if Louisiana’s admitting privileges law went into effect. Director of the Hope Medical Group Kathaleen Pittman says the closing of additional clinics would have been a hardship for low-income pregnant women…
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New Orleans Senator Troy Carter believes Louisiana should put some regulations into place for travelers coming into the state from Texas and other hotspots following an uptick in COVID-19 cases. Carter says the state needs to take every necessary precaution.
Texas and Florida had previously put regulations onto those coming into those states from Louisiana via roadways and air travel, doing screenings for COVID symptoms and requiring a 14-day quarantine.
Carter says Louisiana residents went through great pains to follow spread mitigation efforts during the stay at home order and feels the state should protect its borders from areas that did not and are seeing the result.
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Governor Edwards says the possibility of a border shutdown for hotspots is not off the table, but no one in public health has made the suggestion to do so at this point.
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Texas has seen 17 consecutive days of new records in hospitalizations.
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Health officials believe that recent demonstrations over the killing of George Floyd by police have not resulted in a significant addition of new COVID-19 cases. Assistant state health officer Dr. Joseph Kanter says enough time has passed to get a good idea of what has happened where protests were most prevalent.
Kanter believes other layers of protection have likely factored into the protests to make them a bit safer.
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Kanter says no matter what other mitigation efforts are taken, it is still always best to avoid large crowds.
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The special session ends at six o’clock tomorrow night and lawmakers are debating several different tax break bills for businesses. Republicans say it will create jobs during a time of high unemployment for COVID-19. But New Orleans Senator Karen Carter Peterson says individuals are struggling too
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Shreveport Senator Barry Milligan says COVID-19 has put several businesses on the brink of going out of business and they need the state’s help…
Any tax breaks approved would result in less revenue and fewer dollars available for the state. Baton Rouge Senator Regina Barrow believes the state should consider many of these tax breaks in a fall special session…
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Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt says these businesses need help now and some of the proposals close to final legislative passage will provide incentives to businesses that increase their workforce…