Louisiana Legislative Countdown 3.25.24

We are headed into week 3 of the legislative session, and things are starting to heat up. While legislators are hard at work, across the state, Louisiana families are meeting up with friends for spring break or spending time with family during Holy Week. 

You may find yourself in the company of those you wouldn’t typically seek out— we all make sacrifices for quality crawfish in this economy. Below are updates and information on hot #lalege topics to empower your conversations, but save the spice for the boil. 

For the allies in your life, share this form so they can get these briefings and legislative action alerts.

Keep scrolling for your call to action this week.

TL;DR: We need you to urge your representatives to support the Right to Contraception Act!

Here are three things we read this week:

Louisiana made national headlines this week with coverage of what we already knew: Abortion bans are dangerous and inhumane. Health care providers are forced to question whether they can provide care, delaying or even preventing lifesaving medical care, with dire consequences. Check out NPR’s story about how Louisiana’s abortion ban has created a health care crisis that puts pregnant peoples’ lives at risk.

The national spotlight follows the release of a damning new report by our partners at Lift Louisiana, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Reproductive Health Impact, and the Center for Reproductive Rights that paints a comprehensive picture of how the ban endangers patients and providers. Pregnant Louisianans face unnecessarily risky surgeries, delayed care, and life-threatening complications as providers fear legal repercussions under the criminal abortion ban. This situation worsens existing health care disparities, particularly affecting Black women and people with low incomes, and thrusts our state deeper into an already devastating maternal mortality crisis. Read the full report here.

And if the chaos of two special sessions on top of the regular legislative session was not enough, Gov. Landry is now sharing his desire to drastically overhaul our state constitution and fast-track its ratification. Read more here, and stay tuned for updates on any relevant progress in his plan.

There are two BIG bills scheduled this week:

Everyone should have control over their own body, life, and future, and the most effective way we can restore reproductive freedom to the people of Louisiana is to affirm that right in our state constitution. HB 245 by Rep. Aimee Adatto Freeman would amend Article I, Section 20.1 of the Louisiana Constitution to do just that, ensuring that Louisianans can decide for themselves whether and when to become a parent, use temporary or permanent birth control, or seek abortion care – without interference from politicians. The bill is scheduled to be heard in committee later this morning.

Contact your legislator here and follow us on X (formerly Twitter) for live updates!

Birth control is basic health care, and everyone deserves access to it. And in a state where abortion is banned and all sexual and reproductive health is under attack, it’s critical that every person can access the preventive care and resources they need. HB 395 by Rep. Delisha Boyd and SB 225 by Sen. Royce Duplessis seek to proactively protect contraception by securing an individual’s right to access birth control, emergency contraception, and related information while protecting health care providers’ right to offer it.

Read more about the Right to Contraception Act here.

Today's call to action:

Rep. Boyd’s House version of the Right to Contraception Act is scheduled to be heard in the House Health and Welfare Committee this Wednesday, March 27. Use our advocacy form to quickly and easily contact your representative and urge them to ensure this bill makes it to the House floor. Two clicks, that’s it!

Contact your legislator with this quick form.