On the cusp of a major House bill filing deadline, Texas representatives proposed several pieces of abortion-related legislation, on topics ranging from the outright banning of the procedure except when medically necessary, to a penalty for coercing someone to have an abortion.
From "Bill by Texas Rep. Parker bans abortion except when medically necessary" by Patrick Brendel, The Texas Independent 3/11/11
House Bill 2988 by state Rep. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound) would prohibit abortions from being performed unless a physician determines there is a substantial risk to the woman’s life or a major body function. Parker’s bill comes on the heels of a bill by state Rep. George Lavender (R-Texarkana) banning abortions except in cases of medical necessity, rape or incest. Lavender’s bill sparked immediate criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, as the Texas Independent previously reported.
Meanwhile, state Rep. Jim Landtroop (R-Plainview) filed House Joint Resolution 132, which proposes a state constitutional protection of human embryos’ right to life. According to the resolution, protections “regarding the right to life apply from the point of fertilization, when genetic information is gathered inside a cell, until death. The protections of this article regarding the life of an unborn child apply to the unborn child of any woman physically present in this state.”
State Rep. Bill Callegari (R-Katy) filed HB 2828, which would create a new offense for a person who uses “coercion to induce a pregnant woman to have or seek an abortion.” The offense of “coercion of abortion” would be a Class B Misdemeanor, punishable by a max $2,000 fine and/or six months in jail.
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From "As State Abortion Fights Intensify, Texas Moves to Adopt Sonogram Bill" by Alex Hannaford, The Atlantic 3/11/11
Back in January, Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced that, along with a budget amendment and legislation to protect private property rights, he was also adding the so-called "sonogram bill" to a list of emergency items for the state's 82nd legislative session.
On Monday, that bill passed the floor of the Texas House of Representatives and headed for the Senate where, if it gets two thirds of the vote, it will become law and take immediate effect once Perry adds his signature, as he has pledged to do.
The sonogram bill in Texas is part of a nationwide push by Republicans and conservative activists since the fall to restrict abortion rights, and is one of the most aggressive and successful recent moves at the state level.
Rochelle Tafolla, of Planned Parenthood, insisted the bill had nothing to do with women's health-care. "It really is all about shaming women and telling them they're not capable of making a personal medical decision on their own," she told one local news network.
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From "Texas considers bill to ban abortion" by Charlie Butts, OneNewsNow 3/12/11
Texas lawmakers are considering The Bill Burch Act, an bill sponsored by House member Wayne Christian. The Burch Act would ban abortion in The Lone Star state.
"I and many of my constituents believe that the legal documents that our forefathers founded that said life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were not un-thought, un-researched words that they used,” Christian said. “They made very clear life is the first thing necessary and you can't enjoy any of the other -- liberty or the pursuit of happiness -- unless you first have life."
The bill stipulates that life begins at the moment of fertilization, and with that definition abortion would no longer be legal. But is there sufficient support?
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