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Landry urged the commission to deny the funding in both instances due to a New Orleans City Council resolution encouraging area law enforcement not to enforce the state’s abortion ban within their respective jurisdictions.

The project, titled “New Sewerage and Water Board Power Plant, Planning and Construction” is intended to protect New Orleans streets from floodwaters during storms and be completed in 2024.

In response to Louisiana’s so-called trigger ban – which took effect after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade – the New Orleans City Council passed a resolution July 7 certifying the city leaders’ support of abortion access and reproductive health care by asking police, sheriff’s deputies and prosecutors not to dedicate city funds to collect information about abortions.

The Louisiana ban, which has been battled over in court, outlawed abortion outright, with no exemptions for rape or incest– and is currently in force, CNN previously reported.

In a July 19 letter, Landry asked the bond commission to pause any funding benefiting the city of New Orleans because of city leadership’s opposition to enforcing the state law banning abortion.

“In light of the City’s open defiance of the will of the people of Louisiana, I urge the Bond Commission to defer any applications for the City of New Orleans, Orleans Parish, and any local governmental entity or political subdivision under its purview,” Landry wrote in the July letter.

“In addition, any other funding that will directly benefit the City of New Orleans should also be paused until such time as the Council, Mayor, Chief of Police, Sheriff, and District Attorney have met with and affirmed that they will comply with and enforce the laws of this State and cooperate with any State officials who may be called upon to enforce them.”

According to the minutes from the commission’s July 21 meeting, a representative from Landry’s office motioned to defer the sewerage and water board project from the agenda item and approve the remaining projects.

The motion was approved without objection, according to the minutes.

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