Louisiana lawmakers pull back from classifying abortion as homicide

 (CNN) - Louisiana House lawmakers on Thursday pared down a controversial bill that included language seeking to classify abortions as homicides and potentially allow for women to be criminally charged for terminating their pregnancies.

House Bill 813, which was introduced by Republican state Rep. Danny McCormick, would have redefined a person to include an unborn child from "the moment of fertilization."

The proposal drew widespread condemnation, including from anti-abortion groups in the state such as Louisiana Right to Life, because it is their "longstanding policy that abortion-vulnerable women should not be treated as criminals."

An amendment introduced Thursday by Republican state Rep. Alan Seabaugh deleted the language of McCormick's bill and replaced it with language similar to another bill, Senate Bill 342, which passed the state Senate last week.

The amendment was adopted by the state House in a 65-26 vote, rendering the House bill effectively dead, Seabaugh said.

The Senate version will be heard by a House committee next week, he added.

The bill as amended would not outlaw contraception, criminalize any aspect of in vitro fertilization or apply any criminal penalties to pregnant women.

Speaking on the House floor, Seabaugh had argued that the bill as originally introduced has a "number of problems" and noted the Supreme Court draft opinion that was reported last week by Politico that would overturn Roe v. Wade.