It's a tough day for many Texans as the state's trigger law, outlawing abortion following the fall of Roe V Wade is now in effect.
Democratic State representative Donna Howard of Austin and the chair of the House Women's Health Caucus says abortion was basically banned last September when Senate Bill 8 became law. "The trigger ban just adds another layer of confusion and difficulty" she said.
Another law in effect is Senate Bill 4, the anti abortion medication law. There are also pre-Roe statutes that date back to the 1800's. Now she says "we will have four different statutes guiding the criminalization and enforcement of these different pieces of legislation."
She says a huge amount of collateral damage has already happened in terms of women who want their pregnancies but cannot access emergency care when there are complications and predicts a shortage of OB/GYNs who will not want to practice in Texas. She says doctors fear potential $100,000 fines, jail sentences of up to life and the loss of their medical license.
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"I believe there are some of my Republican colleagues who understand that we need to have clarification. But unfortunately those who have the loud voices, who are sending the letters, that are posting on social media about what the plans are for the next legislative sessions are not taking any of those things into account. The life of the mother is not as important to them as the continuation of a pregnancy and the life of the fetus."
She says the mother is being perceived as a vessel who's own well-being is second to the preservation of the fetal development. "They have dug down into that and I don't see that they're going to change."
She anticipates a lot of litigation. She says a lawsuit filed this week challenges some of the issues that are part of the trigger ban in terms of getting clarification that things that are otherwise legal, like the freedom to travel out of state, the freedom of speech that allows one to talk about what options are available and the freedom to provide funding to organizations that support abortion.
She believes the only thing that could change anything in the near future would be a change in leadership in Texas. She does not think the legislative body will change much in the November election. "But the statewide elections are not gerrymandered and everyone can vote. The governor has the power of veto, the Lieutenant Governor has the power of setting the legislative agenda. The Attorney General has the power to interpret law."
Attorney General Ken Paxton declared June 24th, the day the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe V. Wade, an annual office holiday.
Pro-life groups in Texas are cheering the state's trigger law, which goes into effect today, banning abortions. Joe Pojman with the Texas Alliance For Life says this puts the Lone Star State in the lead, when it comes to defending unborn babies. Their website claims they are not against procedures when the life of the mother is at risk.
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