Members of the House Health and Welfare Committee invoked their faith Wednesday, as they approved a bill to expand the wait time for abortions to 72 hours.
“I feel blessed to be here, so thanks for bringing the bill,” Bossier City representative Mike Johnson told the bill’s author, Frank Hoffman of West Monroe.
Representative Dodie Horton of Haughton quoted scripture.
“God creates life. He says He forms the baby in the womb and He knew our parts before they were formed, actually,” she said, paraphrasing Jeremiah 1:5.
And Johnson, who has been defending the state’s admitting privileges law, made reference to another lawsuit. That one, filed in Missouri, is challenging that state’s 3-day waiting period.
“I just want to go on record and say if the Satanic Temple wants to bring a challenge to this new law, I’ll be delighted to defend it pro bono, free of charge,” Johnson said, earning chuckles from the rest of the committee.
The next bill -- requiring legislative approval for any future state waiver allowing able-bodied adults to get food stamp benefits – prompted the same lawmakers to different comments.
“Louisiana’s always been known that we’re a welfare state,” Horton said, urging approval of the bill. “And I’d love to be known as a state who stopped the cycle, because we want to break the cycle of hopelessness and despair.”
Louisiana has had a federal waiver for 19 years, until Governor Jindal let it lapse at the end of his term. Governor Edwards renewed it once he took office. 36 states have the same waiver, which allows the long-term unemployed to receive $194 of food benefits per month, for up to 3 months in a three-year span. 31,000 Louisiana resident receive these Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Plan (SNAP) benefits, which are 100% federally funded.
Mike Johnson still disapproves.
“Our public policy should be about a healthy work ethic,” Johnson declared. “And just to clarify for the record, this is taxpayer money, right? It’s federal money, but it’s our money, too.”
“Yes, it’s federal money, but it’s taxpayer money,” Sammy Guillory with the Department of Children and Family Services replied.
“Can you appreciate the outrage that we have over this situation?” Johnson then asked.
The bill advanced to the House floor.