¶ Louisiana Right To Life
Hewitt Received A 100% Score Card From Louisiana Right To Life Every Year That She Was In The Louisiana State Senate.
[Louisiana Right To Life, Legislative Scorecard, viewed 5/16/23]
Hewitt Spoke At A Louisiana Right To Life Event In St. Tammany. According to Hewitt’s Twitter, “What a beautiful day in St. Tammany, celebrating the work being done to save babies and protect moms. @LARighttoLife.” [Twitter, @sharonhewitt, 3/4/23]
Hewitt Posted About The Louisiana Right To Life Gala. According to Hewitt’s Twitter, “So nice to meet and talk with Tim Tebow at the Louisiana Right to Life Proudly Pro-Life Gala in New Orleans.” [Facebook, Senator Sharon Hewitt, 1/14/23]
¶ Dobbes Decision
Hewitt Advocated For Trigger Laws To Be Passed Prior To The Dobbs Decision. According to Hewitt’s Facebook, “With Roe vs Wade in the balance, it is critical that states establish strong pro-life laws. President Biden made it easier in December 2021 for mothers to get mail-order abortion pills. My Senate Bill SB 388 will make it a criminal offense to receive mail-order abortion pills in Louisiana without a doctor's prescription. The health of the mother and the life of the baby are too important to do otherwise.” [Facebook, Senator Sharon Hewitt, 3/14/22]
Hewitt Celebrated Leaked Draft Opinion Of Dobbs Decision. According to Hewitt’s Facebook, “This victory for life is possible because of millions of prayers and generations of Christian men and women who fought for pro-life candidates and causes. If reports are accurate, the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade, saving countless lives and triggering an end to all abortions in Louisiana. As we move forward, we must help moms who want to parent and those who want to consider adoption so that these precious lives can learn and grow.” [Facebook, Senator Sharon Hewitt, 5/2/22]
¶ Medication Abortion
Hewitt Authored, Introduced, And Voted For SB388 That “Prohibits The Sale Of Certain Abortion Drugs Without A Prescription And Creates The Crime Of Criminal Induced Chemical Abortions.” In March of 2022, Hewitt introduced SB388 that, according to SB388, “Prohibits the sale of certain abortion inducing drugs without a prescription and creates the crime of criminal induced chemical abortion. To amend and reenact R.S. 14:32.9 and R.S. 51:1402(10) and to enact R.S. 40:962.2, relative to chemical abortion drugs and the crime of criminal abortion; to define criminal induced chemical abortion; to prohibit the inducing of a criminal abortion by means of certain chemical abortion drugs without a required doctor's prescription; to provide for criminal penalties; to provide for defenses; to prohibit the sale, marketing, advertising, labeling, distributing, or importing of certain chemical abortion drugs; to define chemical abortion drugs; to provide for exceptions; to provide for the promulgation of rules; to provide for unfair trade practices; and to provide for related matters.” SB388 Passed the Louisiana Legislature on June 3, 2022 and was signed into law by the Louisiana Governor on June 17, 2022. The law went into effect on August 1, 2022. [Louisiana House Vote, 6/2/22; Louisiana Senate Vote, 6/3/22; SB388, 8/1/22]
Hewitt Said SB388 Would “Make It Clear” That Remote Prescription Of Medication Abortion “Is Illegal & Unacceptable In Louisiana.” According to Hewitt’s Twitter, “The purpose of Senate Bill SB388 is to stop online mail order chemical abortions without medical oversight. This bill makes it clear that the dangerous action of providing or mailing abortion pills without an in-person physician visit is illegal & unacceptable in Louisiana.”
[Twitter, @SharonHewitt, 5/21/22]
Hewitt Celebrated That SB388 Would Come Into Effect When Roe v. Wade Was Overturned. According to Hewitt’s Twitter, “Today the landmark Roe was overturned & most abortions are now illegal in LA!! In addition, my SB388, which recently became law, further prohibits & criminalizes mail-order DIY abortion pills from being shipped to LA. Saving babies & protecting women!”
[Twitter, @sharonhewitt, 6/24/22]
Hewitt Advocated For Trigger Laws To Be Passed Prior To The Dobbs Decision. According to Hewitt’s Facebook, “With Roe vs Wade in the balance, it is critical that states establish strong pro-life laws. President Biden made it easier in December 2021 for mothers to get mail-order abortion pills. My Senate Bill SB 388 will make it a criminal offense to receive mail-order abortion pills in Louisiana without a doctor's prescription. The health of the mother and the life of the baby are too important to do otherwise.” [Facebook, Senator Sharon Hewitt, 3/14/22]
EXCEPTIONS
Hewitt Opposed Exceptions To LA Abortion Ban For Rape And Incest. According to NOLA, “For the legislative session that begins Monday, she supports the proposal by Gov. John Bel Edwards to raise teacher pay by $2,000 per year but opposes amending the state’s laws to allow abortions in cases where pregnancy resulted from rape or incest. On another issue, she said the state doesn’t have enough revenue data to know whether the Legislature ought to allow the 0.45-cent sales tax to expire as scheduled in 2025. If elected governor, Hewitt would retain Edwards’ executive order that expanded Medicaid to the working poor. But she has said that the state needs to more effectively ensure that everyone receiving the benefit is actually eligible for it.” [NOLA, 4/7/23]
¶ Legislation
2016: Hewitt Voted For HB 386 Which Extended Waiting Period For Abortion From 36 To 72 Hours. In April 2016, Hewitt voted for HB386 in the Louisiana State House which would, according to HB386, “relative to regulation of abortion; to revise the time period prescribed for certain activities that are required to occur prior to an abortion; to provide for the time required to elapse between performance of an obstetric ultrasound and performance of an abortion; to provide for the time required to elapse between delivery of certain information to a woman seeking an abortion and performance of the abortion; to provide relative to conditions for consent to an abortion to be deemed voluntary and informed; and to provide for related matters.” HB386 passed the LA House on 4/6/16 and the LA Senate on 5/3/16. It was signed into law on 5/17/16. [LA House Vote, 4/6/16; HB386, 5/17/16]
2022: Hewitt Voted For An Abortion Trigger Law That Would Ban Abortion When Roe v. Wade Was Overturned. In May 2022, Hewitt voted for SB342 which would, according to SB342, Construction of laws relative to abortion A. It is the intention of the Legislature of Louisiana to prohibit and restrict abortion and to thereby preserve the life of each unborn child to the fullest extent permitted by law. B.(1) All laws or parts of laws prohibiting or restricting abortion shall not be negated or superseded by the laws regulating outpatient abortion facilities or regulating the practice of abortion, as provided in R.S. 40:1061.8. (2) Laws regulating or prohibiting an abortion at a certain gestational age of the unborn child shall not be in considered to be in conflict with other laws that regulate or prohibit abortion at a different gestational age of the unborn child. C. No governing authority of a political subdivision shall enact any ordinance or regulation that authorizes or regulates abortion.” SB342 passed the Louisiana Senate on 5/2/22 and was signed into law on 6/17/22. [LA Senate Vote, 5/2/22; SB342, 6/17/22]