Louisiana Set to Ban Abortion

Anticipating the reversal of Roe v. Wade, the Louisiana legislature has passed an abortion ban that Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco says she'll sign. Like South Dakota's ban, Louisiana's allows abortion only when it's necessary to save the mother's life. If that seems extreme, here's another ominous sign for abortion rights supporters (and federalists):

A sponsor of the Louisiana bill, Senator Ben Nevers, Democrat of Bogalusa, said he had led the effort because the Supreme Court had grown more conservative and the time was ripe for change.

"I had a strong belief that we could finally protect the innocent life of an unborn child," Mr. Nevers said. "This is about the U.S. Constitution granting every person the right to life."

The implication is that the Constitution not only permits but requires a federal ban on abortion, which is a belief that abortion opponents probably should keep to themselves for the time being. If the alternative to the Supreme Court's unconstitutional restrictions on state abortion laws is Congress' unconstitutional restrictions on abortion (of which the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act is only a taste), I think I might prefer the devil we know.