*Louisiana’s current Attorney General and governor-elect Jeff Landry’s opposition to reproductive rights is becoming a major obstacle in the state’s struggle to repair its decaying water infrastructure.
According to Essence, the issue goes back to last year, when Landry personally brought his views to the Louisiana State Bond Commission when he requested it to withhold millions in funding from the New Orleans Sewage and Water Board. The request came in response to Louisiana’s total ban on abortion, which resulted in the city government’s refusal to arrest and prosecute women seeking the action.
The politician’s stance further complicates matters regarding the New Orleans Sewage and Water Board’s four water intake structures, which are in urgent need of funds for necessary repairs. Most noticeably is one of the structures that has been inoperable for 34 years.
Responding to preparation for at least three months of saltwater intrusion in the local water supply of New Orleans and some surrounding parishes, President Joe Biden declared the situation a federal emergency, authorizing funding for FEMA and other state agencies to lessen the impact of the crisis in September. Although months without rainfall are to blame for the situation, in addition to extreme, record-high heat, Landry’s name has been mentioned among those partially responsible for Louisiana’s decayed water infrastructure, Essence noted.
Jeff Landry / Getty
Currently, efforts to improve the city’s water have been minimal. Recent weeks have found the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and New Orleans Homeland Security daily unloading daily shipments of 36 million gallons of freshwater into the Mississippi River to dilute the river enough to prevent saltwater and lead from coming into that city’s water supply and contaminating drinking water.
The water infrastructure situation comes amid Louisiana’s gubernatorial election as well as concern regarding two of the city’s conservative GOP extremists ascending to the highest offices in the land.
“We are at a critical point with nearly a billion dollars in capital improvement projects slated for the next five years that are 93% unfunded,” Grace Birch, a spokesperson for the New Orleans Sewage and Water Board said via email to Louisiana Illuminator reporter Matt McBride that was later published. “We have scoured every source of City, State and Federal funding, but our customers must know that these are one-time sources that are not sustainable, and we are looking at long-term plans for capital projects, especially as it relates to water treatment and distribution.”
As the issue becomes more relevant, frustrated Louisiana residents are taking to social media with fears of possible school closures, food accessibility issues and the impact on tourism. The latter is particularly troubling, with tourism driving New Orleans’ economy ahead of Mardi Gras season. Some users have mentioned facing ridicule from residents in neighboring parishes while stocking up on drinking water. Along with the water crisis, Louisiana’s anti-abortion issues were highlighted last month in the governor’s race
Essence reports Louisiana is one of the poorest states in the union, with 61.4% of babies born in the state in 2020 being born under Louisiana’s Medicaid plan. The site further noted the lack of reproductive care access that has women who can afford other options traveling “as close as Illinois–geographically the closest sanctuary state for abortion access– and as far away as New York to have their choice respected.”
Abortion has become a hot issue in the Louisiana legislature as multiple abortion bans have come into play since the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization U.S. Supreme Court decision struck down the constitutionally protected right for women to obtain abortion care. The most recent legislative session garnered attention from every proposed amendment– including those that would have allowed exceptions for victims of incest and rape– struck down in bipartisan opposition.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell / Getty
Louisiana, where homicide is the leading cause of death for pregnant women, has the highest maternal mortality rate in the United States. The results of the bipartisan opposition put women in a position where they are being forced to carry fetuses without skulls to term.
Although New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams, and Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson have all vowed to not seek arrest nor prosecution for pregnant persons seeking reproductive care, Landry has fired back suggesting that folks who do not like their reproductive care being stripped can simply “move.“ – has used his massive campaign backing and platform to wage a political war on the majority female state.
In his campaign, Landry has made reproductive rights a centerpiece. The politician is opposed to access to substantive abortion care for birthing people in Louisiana.
Regarding water infrastructure, Landry’s efforts last year included attending a public meeting through the Louisiana State Bond Commission to purposely delay funding to multiple city improvement projects. This included $35 million to the New Orleans Sewage and Water Board, in response to what he claimed was the city thumbing “its nose at the law” too many times. Local news sources noted the funding was specifically intended “for construction of an electrical substation to replace outdated, unreliable turbines that power the city’s drinking water, drainage and sewage systems.”
With winning the October 2023 Louisiana governor’s race, assumptions point to Landry using his gubernatorial powers to make sure the city of New Orleans is forced to comply with state law and enforce the prosecution of women seeking abortion care.
For more on Louisiana’s situation regarding water infrastructure and reproductive rights, click here.
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