BATON ROUGE - An effort to prohibit a commonly used second-trimester abortion procedure has received overwhelming support from lawmakers in the Louisiana House.
    
The bill by Rep. Mike Johnson, a Republican from Bossier City, would ban a procedure called dilation and evacuation. The procedure would only be allowed if necessary to prevent "serious health risk" to the mother.
    
Similar laws have been passed in four other states, with anti-abortion activists describing the procedures as "dismemberment abortions." State courts have blocked laws in Kansas and Oklahoma.
    
Supporters of the ban describe the abortion method as "torturous" and barbaric.
    
Opponents say that description isn't medically accurate. They say the bill would criminalize the safest method of second-trimester abortion.
    
The House voted 83-0 for the bill. The Senate considers it next.