NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — Louisiana voters decided the state constitution will not protect access to abortions.
Amendment 1 passed with 62 percent of Louisiana voters in favor, but don't expect to see any major changes from it, at least not yet.
Amendment 1 states that nothing in the state's constitution shall be construed to protect the right to an abortion or funding of an abortion.
But what does this mean?
For now, the amendment is mostly symbolic.
Because abortion is currently legal in every state, Louisiana would only feel any real changes if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade which currently guarantees access to abortions.
If that happens, each state would decide their own abortion laws.
Amendment 1 makes clear abortion rights wont be protected in the constitution or funded with state dollars which is already the case in Louisiana.
Ben Clapper with Louisiana Right to Life feels like Amendment 1 is a victory for pro-life advocates.
"What has changed today is the doors of the supreme court in the state are no longer open to abortion advocates who want supreme court justices to declare a right to abortion or even invalidate common sense laws like ultra sounds or parental consent before abortion," Clapper said.
This amendment does not ban abortions right now, but pro-choice advocates like Michelle Erenberg with Lift Louisiana worry this could restrict people's access to abortions if Roe v Sade is ever overturned.
If that happens, Louisiana has a 'trigger' law that would ban most abortions unless the mother's life was at risk.
"Abortion is still legal, people can still get abortions, however we do think this amendment will have some significant impact on the ability for advocates to expand access to abortion or to add protections, legal protections to people trying to access abortion," Erenberg said.
For now though, the biggest change is the new wording added to the constitution that could guide the future of the Louisiana's abortion laws.
The 2006 'trigger law' that would go into effect if Roe v Wade is overturned, it does not have exceptions for victims of rape or incest.
