Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry is threatening to withhold state funds from New Orleans if the city defies Louisiana’s abortion trigger laws when they take effect, 4WWL reported Tuesday.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell expressed that New Orleans will not comply with the state’s abortion trigger ban. Landry then requested that the State’s Bond Commission defer giving funds for the city’s projects, according to 4WWL. The Orleans Parish District Attorney, the New Orleans City Council, and the New Orleans Police Department joined the mayor in declaring they will not enforce the new abortion laws, the outlet reported.
Breaking News: A judge in Louisiana temporarily blocked the state’s abortion bans for the second time, allowing the procedure to become legal again. https://t.co/uRyxlk6N8h
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 12, 2022
“It comes as no surprise,” Cantrell said of Landry’s request, according to the outlet. “But it only makes me have to focus and double down on my efforts to ensure that the women of this city are in a safe haven and they’re protected every step of the way.”
In his letter, Landry explained that, according to the state Constitution, New Orleans city officials do not have the power to not enforce state law, 4WWL reported. (RELATED: West Virginia Judge Blocks State’s Enforcement Of Abortion Ban)
“A parish or municipality should not benefit from the hard-working taxpayers of this state while ignoring laws validly enacted by the people through their representatives,” the letter said, according to the outlet.
The state’s trigger ban on abortion is currently being blocked by a Baton Rouge Judge with a hearing scheduled for July 29 to determine the longevity of the ban, according to WDSU6.