In 1990, Jenkins helped to secure the override in the Louisiana House of Governor Buddy Roemer's veto of a ban on abortion, including cases of rape and incest and fines of up to $100,000 and ten years imprisonment on the practitioners. The legislation was authored by Democratic State Senator Mike Cross of Baker. Roemer declared the legislation incompatible with the United States Supreme Court decision "Roe v. Wade". His veto alienated large numbers of his socially conservative electoral base. Though the House overrode the veto, the state Senate failed to do so. Jenkins argued that the prohibition regarding rape and incest is needed to prevent women from filing false claims in such matters. State Senator Sydney B. Nelson of Shreveport, however, announced his opposition to the abortion ban championed by Cross and Jenkins because of the problems of unwanted children and defective births. Nevertheless, in 1991, United States District Judge Adrian G. Duplantier of New Orleans, a former state senator, ruled that the measure was in conflict with "Roe v. Wade".