Democrat Governor John Bel Edwards says he will defy his party and sign the bill.
"But I will tell you, here in Louisiana, I speak and meet with Democrats who are pro-life every single day."
The Louisiana House voted yesterday to pass a bill that would ban abortions in the state once a foetal heartbeat can be detected - usually around six weeks gestation.
Heartbeat bill
Senate Bill 184, which already passed the Senate, was approved by 79 votes to 23, and Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards is expected to sign it into law.
This makes Louisiana the seventh state to introduce near total abortion bans. Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio have enacted similar heartbeat bills, while Missouri lawmakers approved an eight-week ban on abortion. Alabama recently passed the most restrictive bill, banning abortion in nearly all circumstances.
The Louisiana bill is modelled on Mississippi’s similar law, which is currently being debated in a federal appeals court, and would only go into effect if the Mississippi bill is upheld. It seeks to lower the abortion limit to much earlier than the current 20 weeks, with exceptions for the health of the mother and in the case of a fatal prenatal diagnosis of the child. There are no exceptions for rape.
Pro-life Democrat
The new laws have sparked outrage in certain quarters, with media companies such as Netflix and Disney threatening to reconsider their considerable financial interests in Georgia.
While Louisiana is not the first state to pass a heartbeat bill, it is interesting in that it was spearheaded by a Democrat representative, John Milkovich, and won wide bipartisan support. Governor John Bel Edwards has indicated that he will sign the bill, despite condemnation from Democrat leaders nationwide.
"It's not a difficult decision for me because I've let people know for a long time that I'm pro-life," Mr Edwards said in an interview with USA Today before the vote.
"It's consistent with my unblemished pro-life record in my years as a legislator and governor."
He also insisted that being pro-life and Democrat are compatible. "I know that for many in the national party, on the national scene, that’s not a good fit. But I will tell you, here in Louisiana, I speak and meet with Democrats who are pro-life every single day," he said.