| Good Morning, Moving into the first week of August, while families prepare kids for the return to school, the biggest political issue remains abortion. Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 24 ruling overturning the right to an abortion, Louisiana courts have been squabbling over the state’s so-called trigger law. Passed in 2006, the trigger law required Louisiana to ban most abortions upon the overturn of Roe v Wade. The three clinics in Louisiana that performed the procedures that terminate pregnancies opened and closed their doors during the past six weeks as each court suspended the ban or enforced it. A three-judge panel, all Republicans, on the Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal ruled that abortions would not be performed while the parties battled out the ban’s constitutionality in court. Nineteenth Judicial District Court Judge Don Johnson, who is running for a 1st Circuit seat himself in November, signed the order as required by the appellate court. Meanwhile, the Louisiana Department of Health drew up the regulations for what abortions would be allowed under the state’s otherwise complete ban. The agency that will be at the vanguard of enforcing the ban issued its definitions of “medically futile,” which is the key term for the exceptions that would allow physicians to perform the procedures otherwise legally forbidden. LDH listed 24 conditions as “medically futile,” such as absence of a heart and problems with the neural tube that forms the brain and spine. Former New Orleans Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, who chaired the Louisiana Democratic Party from 2012 until 2020, pleaded guilty Monday to a federal wire fraud charge. A fiery, if lonely, voice for progressive causes in Louisiana and a major force in the Democratic Party nationally, Peterson cited depression and a gambling addiction when she resigned the state Senate earlier this year. She entered a guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance, of New Orleans. Peterson allegedly diverted more than $94,000 in campaign funds for personal use, including for casino gambling, according to court documents. Prosecutors said she also arranged for another $53,000 in state Democratic Party funds to be kicked back to her by associates she arranged to be hired by the party, who remained unidentified as of Monday. Sentencing was set for Dec. 7. The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years but it is uncertain how harsh her sentence will be after she signed a plea agreement and cooperated with prosecutors. As always, check throughout the day for the latest Louisiana political news at theadvocate.com/politics or NOLA.com/politics and on Twitter at @MarkBallardCNB, @tegbridges, @samkarlin, @WillSentell. Here are a dozen articles, commentaries and editorials that will catch you up for the week to come. One last item: Thank you to our subscribers. Your support means a great deal to us. If you're not yet a subscriber, we’ve got a special offer you can check out here. – Mark Ballard | 