Hospital Admitting Privileges

by Penna Dexter: A pro-life state law authored by a Louisiana Democrat is set to be heard at the United States Supreme Court on March 4th. In June Medical Services v. Gee, the abortion industry is challenging legislation requiring that any doctor performing abortions have admitting privileges at a hospital located within thirty miles of the facility at which those abortions take place.

State Representative Katrina Jackson, who has since been elected state senator, authored Act 620, which simply requires that abortion doctors live under the same regulations as other Louisiana outpatient physicians. Senator Jackson will actually join the Louisiana Attorney General’s office in arguing this case before the Supreme Court. She told The Stream that the bill addresses a woman’s health issue. She said, “Louisiana requires a certain standard of care for outpatient surgery, and we will not lower it for those electing to have an abortion.” When she learned that abortion laws were in a different section of Louisiana statutes, Senator Jackson acted to remedy the situation.

To a question about how she reconciles her strong pro-life views with the overwhelming pro-abortion position of the Democrat party, Senator Jackson explained that she’s a Christian, adding: “when they’re right I stand with them, and when I believe they’re not, I cannot stand with them.”

The fact that the Louisiana statute governing outpatient doctors has been on the books for years and was believed to apply to all doctors makes it different from a similar Texas law that was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2016.

The Court’s ruling, in this case, could affect a bill that’s been introduced in both houses of Congress. John Kennedy, US Senator from Louisiana and Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs call their companion bills the Pregnant Women Health and Safety Act.

How appropriate that these lawmakers introduced their bills just three days before the 47th annual Washington DC March for Life. The march’s theme this year was “Life Empowers: Pro-Life is Pro-Woman.”
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Penna Dexter is an author, lecturer, visiting professor and radio host and contributor on nationally syndicated Point of View and the "Probe" radio programs.

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