Louisiana's Bond Commission recently agreed to withhold a $39 million line of credit from Sewerage & Water Board New Orleans (S&WBNO) after city officials refused to enforce the state's abortion ban.
Louisiana is one of several states with a trigger law that immediately took effect after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last month. The trigger law, which is currently being challenged in court, would ban nearly all abortions in Louisiana.
According to WWL-TV, last week, the commission voted 12-2 to withhold the line of credit, which was supposed to go towards the S&WBNO's new power plant. Officials who refused to enforce the abortion ban include the city's mayor, police chief, district attorney and sheriff.
"It is disappointing and appalling that the Louisiana Bond Commission decided to halt funding for one of the most vital and valuable infrastructure projects, despite the fact that the right to an abortion remains legal statewide," New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a statement.
"What also remains is the fact that we are in the middle of another above-average hurricane season, in which this city needs its entire Sewerage and Water Board system performing at its peak in order to protect vital assets, businesses and residents from flooding," she added.
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, however, asserted that he will ensure that the new law is obeyed.
"The same folks who have turned the Crescent City into America's murder capital by refusing to prosecute violent crime must now choose whether they prioritize playing partisan politics over granting basic amenities for their constituents," Landry said in a statement.
"I hope they come before the Bond Commission to explain why New Orleans should continue to receive millions of taxpayer dollars while refusing to comply with the laws enacted by our Legislature as required by our State Constitution."
Since the trigger law took effect, pro-choice groups have sued the state to stop the ban.
In a ruling last week, state district Judge Donald Johnson in Baton Rouge issued a preliminary injunction against the abortion ban, allowing the state's three abortion clinics to continue operating until the litigation is resolved.
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Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
