Louisiana House approves bills on abortion, museums, cabdriver killings
by Jeff Adelson - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Baton Rouge -- Bills requiring that abortions be performed only by physicians, allowing the secretary of state's office to shutter museums because of a lack of funds and making the killing of a cabdriver first-degree murder passed the Louisiana House Tuesday. The abortion measure, Senate Bill 330 by Sen. Rick Ward III, D-Port Allen, is heading to the governor's desk after getting the unanimous approval of representatives Tuesday. The bill defines "criminal abortion" as any abortion performed by someone who is not a licensed physician. Anyone convicted of the crime could face between one year and five years in prison, a fine of between $5,000 and $50,000 or both. The bill also creates the crime of "aggravated criminal abortion by dismemberment" to cover cases where an abortion performed by a non-physician involves the dismemberment of the fetus. That would carry a sentence of between one year and 10 years in prison, a fine of between $10,000 and $100,000 or both.