Texas Signs Abortion Law That Brings Near-Total Ban on Abortions, With No Exceptions for Rape or Incest Victims

Texas passed one of the most restrictive abortion laws on May 19, 2021. According to People, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law banning women from getting an abortion procedure after six weeks of pregnancy. The recent ban makes Texas the largest state in the US to outlaw abortion very early on in pregnancy.

Speaking of the legislation S.B. 8, Abbott stated, "Our creator endowed us with the right to life and yet millions of children lose their right to life every year because of abortion. In Texas, we work to save those lives. And that's exactly what the Texas legislature did this session."

The decision was welcomed by anti-abortion organizations in the state. Texas Right to Life celebrated the law and called it "historic." “We will be closely watching whether the abortion industry follows this law, if not they should be prepared for civil liability," said legislative director of the organization, John Seago, according to The Guardian.

Meanwhile, many consider the legislation as a near-total ban on abortions as most women cannot confirm pregnancy by the six-week mark. The law, referred to as the heartbeat bill, is based on when the heartbeat of the fetus is first detected. Another drawback of the law which goes into effect on September 1, 2021, is that it has no exceptions for women impregnated through rapes or incest. However, women will be exempted "if a physician believes a medical emergency exists."

Additionally, the law allows individuals to sue doctors and clinic workers who help perform or set up the procedure.

Many, including more than 370 licensed attorneys and local leaders, raised these concerns and slammed the new law, according to NPR.

Drucilla Tigner, a policy and advocacy strategist at the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas stated that the ban is "the most extreme abortion ban in the country."

Dyana Limon-Mercado, the executive director of Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, claimed how unfair the law was to women.

"For a person with a normal menstrual cycle, that is only two weeks after a missed period. When you factor in the time it takes to confirm a pregnancy, consider your options and make a decision, schedule an appointment and comply with all the restrictions politicians have already put in place for patients and providers, a six-week ban essentially bans abortion outright," she said.

Others called the law draconian and pointed it was favoring criminals. “This bill empowers rapists and abusers, and lawyers and trolls who want to abuse and clog up our courts. And this forced pregnancy act will drive women back into the [pre-Roe] shadows out of fear of harassment through lawsuits that anyone in this country can file," said Representative Donna Howard, a Democrat from Austin, just before the bill's final passage, according to The Guardian.

Infuriated and upset with the bill, advocates of reproductive rights are hoping to legally challenge the extreme law. “The law will be challenged with the goal of stopping it from ever taking effect," said Elisabeth Smith, chief counsel for state policy and advocacy for the Center for Reproductive Rights.

References: 

https://people.com/health/texas-enacts-a-near-total-ban-on-abortions-outlawing-them-after-6-weeks-of-pregnancy/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/may/19/texas-abortion-ban-law-greg-abbott

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/19/998237349/the-governor-of-texas-has-signed-a-law-that-bans-abortion-as-early-as-6-weeks

Cover Image Source (Representational): Getty Images | Photo by Mike Harrington