SLS 20RS-662 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 61
BY SENATOR HEWITT
ABORTION. Recognizes May 2020 as Louisiana Abortion Recovery Awareness Month and
commends pro-life groups for their service to women suffering from abortion related trauma.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2 To recognize May 2020 as Louisiana Abortion Recovery Awareness Month and commend
3 Louisiana Abortion Recovery Alliance, Abortion Recovery Helpline of Louisiana,
4 Rachel's Vineyard Louisiana, Pregnancy Resource Centers of Louisiana,
5 International Abortion Recovery Helpline, Speak Hope, Life Freedom Alliance,
6 Operation Outcry Louisiana, and Silent No More for their support and service to
7 women suffering from abortion related trauma.
8 WHEREAS, the purpose of Abortion Recovery Awareness Month is to encourage
9 and promote healing opportunities and to enlighten society to the physical and emotional
10 suffering and aftermath of abortion on women and their families; and
11 WHEREAS, it is the highest priority of the legislature to protect women and future
12 generations from known dangers that impact their lifelong health and wholeness; and
13 WHEREAS, the abortion industry fails to adequately provide women with full
14 disclosure of known physical, psychological, and emotional risks and complications of
15 abortion procedures that can affect a woman for a lifetime; and
16 WHEREAS, science confirms there are potential psychological effects, including
17 depression, anxiety, substance abuse, addictions, relationship struggles, self-destructive
18 behaviors, and suicide attempts; and
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1 WHEREAS, the evidence that there is a causal connection between abortion and
2 mental and emotional injuries is supported by three independent sources of evidence: (1) the
3 testimony of women themselves who testified as to their injuries, (2) mental health
4 professionals who have successfully diagnosed and treated women after an abortion, and (3)
5 statistically validated medical studies controlling for a large number of confounding factors
6 which have been published in peer reviewed journals, both nationally and internationally;
7 and
8 WHEREAS, as it relates to the testimony of women who have suffered mental and
9 emotional injuries after an abortion, a total of one hundred and eighty women from all over
10 the United States filed affidavits in the court case, Gonzales v. Carhart, 550 U.S. 124,
11 (2007), informing the United States Supreme Court justices of the negative physical and
12 psychological suffering that accompanied their prior abortions; and
13 WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court recognized abortion related trauma
14 and upheld the federal partial birth abortion ban in Gonzales v. Carhart, 550 U.S. at 159,
15 opining that "(r)espect for human life finds an ultimate expression in the bond of love the
16 mother has for her child … it seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to
17 regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained" and "(s)evere
18 depression and loss of esteem can follow"; and
19 WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court, in reaching its decision in Gonzales
20 v. Carhart, was influenced by and referred to an amicus brief and one hundred and eighty
21 affidavits filed by women who had suffered from abortion related trauma; particularly, the
22 court found persuasive the affidavit filed by Sandra Cano, the plaintiff in Doe v. Bolton, 410
23 U.S. 179 (1973), who asked the high court in Gonzales v. Carhart, to effectively overturn
24 her earlier decision in Doe v. Bolton due to the profound emotional injuries that Cano
25 suffered due to her abortion procedure; and
26 WHEREAS, in upholding the Louisiana Unsafe Abortion Protection Act (Act 620
27 of the 2014 Regular Session), the United Sates Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit found
28 persuasive the testimony of Cynthia Collins, a woman who suffered hemorrhaging from an
29 emergency dilation and curettage procedure and emotional trauma from abortion; and
30 WHEREAS, Norma McCorvey, who was the plaintiff "Roe" in Roe v. Wade, 410
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1 U.S. 113 (1973), subsequently stated that she regretted her participation in that court case
2 and greatly desired to protect women from the emotional and physical harms of abortion;
3 and
4 WHEREAS, the legislature reconfirms its commitment to the Louisiana Safe Haven
5 Law, by which a woman may safely and confidentially leave her unwanted child in a safe
6 haven facility and thereby avoid the pain of abortion; and
7 WHEREAS, it is important and helpful to the people of our great state, that the
8 legislature recognizes May as Abortion Recovery Awareness Month, so that women who
9 have been harmed by abortion can come forth to receive the help and healing they need and
10 others can be warned of the risks and pain of abortion.
11 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
12 recognize May 2020 as Louisiana Abortion Recovery Awareness Month for the state of
13 Louisiana and the citizens of our great state, and citizens everywhere are encouraged to
14 discuss, evaluate and promote awareness of the harms and risks of abortion, and also to
15 promote healing and hope to those harmed by abortion.
16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Louisiana Abortion Recovery Alliance, Abortion
17 Recovery Helpline of Louisiana, Rachel's Vineyard Louisiana, Pregnancy Resource Centers
18 of Louisiana, International Abortion Recovery Helpline, Speak Hope, Life Freedom
19 Alliance, Operation Outcry Louisiana, and Silent No More Awareness Louisiana are hereby
20 commended for their support and service to women suffering from abortion related trauma.
21 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
22 Louisiana Abortion Recovery Alliance, Abortion Recovery Helpline of Louisiana, Rachel's
23 Vineyard Louisiana, Pregnancy Resource Centers of Louisiana, International Abortion
24 Recovery Helpline, Speak Hope, Life Freedom Alliance, Operation Outcry Louisiana, and
25 Silent No More Awareness Louisiana.
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The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Carla S. Roberts.
DIGEST
SCR 61 Original 2020 Regular Session Hewitt
Recognizes May 2020 as Louisiana Abortion Recovery Awareness Month.
Commends Louisiana Abortion Recovery Alliance, Abortion Recovery Helpline of
Louisiana, Rachel's Vineyard Louisiana, Pregnancy Resource Centers of Louisiana,
International Abortion Recovery Helpline, Speak Hope, Life Freedom Alliance, Operation
Outcry Louisiana, and Silent No More Awareness Louisiana are commended for their
support and service to women suffering from abortion related trauma.
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