New Orleans – Today, the Advocate published a story on a poll commissioned by Faucheux Strategies that asked Louisiana citizens a question about abortion that was inaccurate.

The Advocate’s poll question states that “Louisiana law bans all abortions, except when the life of the mother is in danger.” This is simply not correct. Louisiana law not only allows abortion in situations where the life of the mother is in danger, but also in cases of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, and in rare situations when baby “has a profound and irremediable congenital or chromosomal anomaly that is incompatible with sustaining life after birth.”

Benjamin Clapper, Executive Director of Louisiana Right to Life, gave the following statement:

We are disappointed that the Advocate published a story on a poll that asked Louisiana citizens an erroneous question on abortion that is inaccurate and misleading. After learning the poll question was inaccurate, we strongly advised the Advocate to refrain from publishing the poll results.

The responses of Louisiana citizens to this poll cannot be trusted because of the inaccuracy of the question. Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, there has been ample confusion about Louisiana’s pro-life laws. If we are going to have a statewide discussion on whether citizens prefer to change the law, let’s begin with an accurate portrayal of the law to the public.

Our society lived with 50 years of abortion-on-demand thanks to Roe v. Wade. It is not surprising that since Roe’s reverse, Louisianians have further evaluated their position on rare “exceptions.” According to 2021 Louisiana abortion statistics, only 0.5% of abortions were performed as a result of rape or incest. We remain assured that a majority of Louisiana citizens remain in favor of protecting the lives of innocent unborn babies from the overwhelming majority of elective abortions that were legal up to the 5th month of pregnancy before the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

It is important to note that because Louisiana Right to Life’s mission is to protect the life of every unborn child, we oppose the current exception that allows abortion when a child may not live outside the womb. The position of Louisiana Right to Life does not change the fact that these abortions are currently legal, and therefore, the Advocate’s question was erroneous.

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