When we enter the voting booth on Nov. 3, the first amendment on the ballot will say, “Do you support an amendment declaring that, to protect human life, a right to abortion and the funding of abortion shall not be found in the Louisiana constitution?”

There are a lot of misconceptions out there about this amendment. Amendment 1 has nothing to do with the very rare instances when the life of the mother may be in danger. This amendment will not ban any abortions.

Roe v. Wade cannot be overturned by a state amendment. Therefore, abortions will still be legal in Louisiana as they are in all of America. This amendment guarantees taxpayers are not forced to fund abortions.

Some might say abortions save the pregnant woman’s life, but they fail to acknowledge the living baby with a beating heart who is being murdered. Abortion is not the only option for women in a tough situation.

Adoption is a wonderful possibility and there are many eager parents on waiting lists wanting to adopt babies into a loving family. My mother was adopted as an infant, and I would not be here today if she had been murdered in the womb.

It is also a fact that abortion is not “medically necessary” to save the life of a mother, according to Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. Although there are circumstances in which a mother’s life can be in jeopardy because of pre-existing conditions or pregnancy complications, they are extremely rare during the point of viability for a feature. The point of viability is 22 weeks after the mother’s last period and 20 weeks after fertilization. In these rare

cases, there is usually no time for an abortion, and inducement or caesarean section is the best way to save the mother and baby.

I am proud to vote yes on Amendment 1 to protect all human lives and our taxpayer dollars.