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u.s. news Diasabra 14 Mei 2022

No more murder charge for women in Louisiana abortion bill

(AP) — The sponsor of a Right to Life, the Louisi-
bill that would have sub- ana Conference of Catholic It came on a day when leg-
jected Louisiana women Bishops, and the National islation was already moving
to murder charges for Right to Life Committee slowly as lawmakers tried to
having abortions abruptly were among the prominent find a compromise on Mc-
pulled the proposal from anti-abortion opponents of Cormick’s bill. The House
debate Thursday night af- the measure. recessed for more than an
ter House members voted hour while lawmakers broke
65-26 to totally revamp Edwards, a devout Catholic, into groups behind closed
the legislation, eliminat- declared prosecuting women doors to discuss the legisla-
ing the criminal penalties. for abortion “absurd.” tion.
The controversial bill would McCormick had just as Pending at the time was the
have ventured farther against strongly disagreed, saying a amendment by Rep. Alan
abortion than lawmakers’ woman who has an abortion Seabaugh. The Shreveport
efforts in any other state. It should be in the same legal Republican is an anti-abor-
would have made women position as a woman who tion stalwart. But his amend- Seabaugh argued. en who get abortions, but
who end their pregnancies takes the life of a child after ment overhauled McCor- a committee chairman said
subject to criminal homicide birth. “When I give equal mick’s bill, declaring that The amendment mirrors a Friday he would not allow
prosecutions. protection to the unborn, women would not face crim- pending Senate bill aimed it. “There are still reason-
that’s the possibility,” he inal penalties for abortion. It at tightening up Louisiana able people in the Legislature
“This is a thorny political said in a Wednesday evening also allowed abortion to save abortion laws that would go who are going to ensure that
question, but we all know phone interview. the life of a pregnant woman. into effect if Roe v. Wade is extreme bills like that are not
that it is actually very simple. And it eliminated language overturned. McCormick, as going to get a hearing,” Rep.
Abortion is murder,” Rep. Supporters of the bill were in McCormick’s original bill the sponsor, is unlikely to Brent Crane said.
Danny McCormick, a Re- adamant. Scores of them that appeared to make con- advance it in the House but
publican from Oil City, pro- gathered at the Capitol to traceptive drugs and at least the Senate version can still Louisiana already has laws
claimed as he opened debate. pray and show support. As some aspects of in vitro fer- advance. on the books criminalizing
He noted that a majority of the group watched from tilization illegal. abortion, including a “trigger
Louisiana lawmakers in the the House balcony as the McCormick’s bill, intro- law” ensuring that it will be a
heavily Republican Legisla- bill was pulled, one shouted The amendment also stripped duced in March, had drawn crime if the Supreme Court
ture say they are anti-abor- “Shame.” language from McCormick’s intense scrutiny in light of reverses the Roe vs. Wade,
tion, and briefly chided those bill widely regarded as bla- last week’s leak of a draft of the 1973 ruling establishing
abortion opponents who also The House had not yet start- tantly unconstitutional — a a U.S. Supreme Court opin- abortion rights. The statutes
oppose his bill. “We’re falter- ed debating the controversial declaration that any federal ion indicating the high court appear to exempt women
ing and trying to explain it legislation when the building law, regulation or court rul- is preparing to overturn deci- from prosecution, although
away.” was temporarily evacuated ing that allows abortion is sions upholding a constitu- some abortion rights advo-
Thursday after the speaker void and that any judge who tional right to abortion. cates have suggested they
But McCormick’s mea- interrupted proceedings and blocks enforcement of the need tightening.
sure had drawn increasingly said an unknown, unclaimed bill’s provisions could be im- There was no indication yet
strong opposition from many package had been found in peached. that lawmakers in other states McCormick has said the ex-
anti-abortion stalwarts. Gov. the capitol’s Memorial Hall are taking up similar legisla- isting laws are inadequate to
John Bel Edwards, an anti- — a gathering area between “We can’t grant ourselves the tion. In Idaho, Republican give fetuses equal protection
abortion Democrat, said House and Senate Cham- power to order a court to rule state Rep. Heather Scott has under law.
he would veto it. Louisiana bers. future acts unconstitutional,” proposed prosecuting wom-

Company charged in deadly 2017 Wisconsin plant explosion

(AP) — A federal grand jury has partment announced Friday. ment alleges that between March our team.”
charged a milling company with 2013 and February 2018, the com-
fraud and conspiracy in connec- The grand jury returned an indict- pany failed to keep up with cleanings The explosion May 31, 2017, leveled
tion with an explosion at a Wis- ment earlier this week against Didion at the Cambria plant as required by most of the sprawling facility about
consin corn plant that killed five Milling Inc. and company leaders, federal regulations and falsified re- 45 miles (72 kilometers) northeast
workers in 2017, the Justice De- court records indicate. The indict- cords to make it look as if the clean- of Madison. Killed in the blast were
ings were completed. Didion employees Duelle Block,
Robert Goodenow, Carlos “Charly”
The indictment, which alleges that Nunez, Angel Reyes and Pawel Tor-
Didion’s safety violations caused the doff. Fifteen more people were in-
five employees’ deaths, goes on to say jured.
that dust filters in the plant weren’t
properly ventilated. The indictment Federal inspectors have said an accu-
seeks all of the profits Didion has mulation of grain dust likely caused
made off of the alleged conspiracy. the explosion. Corn dust is combus-
tible; if concentrations in the air reach
Didion officials issued a statement a high level a spark or other ignition
saying the explosion was an accident source can cause it to catch fire and
and that they were disappointed that explode. Federal regulations require
the federal government decided to grain mill operators to perform regu-
pursue “unwarranted charges.” lar cleanings to reduce dust accumu-
lations that could fuel a blast.
“What happened on May 31, five
years ago was a horrible accident, not The U.S. Occupational Safety and
a criminal act,” the statement said. Health Administration fined Didion
“While we have cooperated fully with more than $1.8 million in connection
the investigation since day one, we with the explosion in the months fol-
now must respond with a strong, vig- lowing the explosion.
orous defense for the company and