Louisiana’s Democratic governor has signed a highly restrictive new abortion law that bans the procedure after a foetal heartbeat is detected.
The law could prohibit abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy.
State legislators overwhelmingly backed the bill on Wednesday, by 79 votes to 23 and Governor John Bel Edwards signed the bill into law on Thursday.
It is the latest in a raft of anti-abortion measures which are expected to face legal challenges.
Four other states have passed similar limits to abortion this year.
In a statement, Governor Edwards said: “I call on the overwhelming bipartisan majority of legislators who voted for [the law] to join me in continuing to build a better Louisiana that cares for the least among us and provides more opportunity for everyone.”
He did not hold a signing ceremony.
Governor Edwards has long opposed abortion. Support for abortion restrictions has put some state Democrats at odds with the national party, which views access to the procedure as a core plank of its platform.
Women throughout the US have staged protests against the Lousiana legislation, and major Hollywood stars and production companies have vowed to boycott states that implement such bans.
Disney, Netflix and WarnerMedia have all publicly threatened to rethink production in these states if the laws take effect.
So-called heartbeat laws seek to make abortion illegal as soon as a foetal heartbeat is detectable. In most cases, this is at the six-week mark of a pregnancy – before many women even know they are pregnant.
Although Louisiana’s stringent law does allow abortions in cases where the pregnant woman’s life is in danger, it does not include exemptions for pregnancies resulting from incest or rape.
