Waiting period for abortions a step closer in Texas
Having learned through hard experience that frontal assaults on Roe v. Wade are a recipe for frustration, anti-choice advocates have decided to adopt a sneakier, much more subtle approach. It's the "If we can't eliminate abortion in one fell swoop, then we'll do it with rubber mallets" approach- and it's showing signs of success here in Texas. Bit by bit, those who would deny women the right to control their own bodies are tinkering around the margins, patiently nibbling away a woman's reproductive rights. Before you know it, they will achieve their goal- which is the complete and total elimination of a woman's choice, regardless of circumstances.
AUSTIN - Women seeking abortions in Texas will be offered materials detailing the development stage of their fetuses before undergoing a mandated 24-hour "reflection period" under legislation tentatively adopted by the House today.
The bill, by Rep. Frank Corte, R-San Antonio, requires written proof, signed by the patient, that she has been offered the state-produced literature and color photos of fetal development at two-week increments before the waiting period.
Opponents argued that the measure is just an attempt by conservative lawmakers to limit a woman's access to abortion in Texas.
"This bill is nothing but a farce, this bill is nothing but a smokescreen so that women will be frightened in that 24-hour period," said Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, who argued adamantly against the bill. Dukes said the legislation would unfairly coerce women into not having an abortion.
Corte maintained that the measure is meant to make abortions safer and empower women by giving them as much information as possible.
"I think the 24-hour waiting period is a just a way of giving that person time to reflect," Corte said, shortly after the 96-41 vote.
Legislators in the House spent the afternoon on Monday and most of this morning debating the divisive bill.
Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, won a rare victory for opponents of the measure with an amendment that requires victims of rape and incest to be provided with information about emergency contraception. That option, known as the "morning-after pill," if taken within 72 hours, prevents pregnancies.
"I don't think this House should force a woman to bear the child of a rapist," Thompson argued heatedly. Corte initially resisted, but ultimately accepted the amendment before the House voted in favor of its adoption.
Rep. Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, tried unsuccessfully on Monday to amend the bill to exempt victims of rape and incest from the requirement to view the materials.
Let there be no doubt as to the intent of the authors of this bill. This is only the first salvo in what will be a long and bloody battle to preserve a woman's right to choose. It says a lot that victims of rape and incest will not be immune from this proposed law. It is unconscionable that the Texas legal system could potentially require a woman impregnated through rape or incest to carry her child to term if it is not her wish to do so. What is the public's interest here, outside of punishing her for having the audacity to be a victim of rape or incest?
Perhaps it's time that Texans and their representative took a moment to walk a mile in the shoes of women in crisis. What they want are options, not your self-righteous religious pronouncements. Or are y'all happy with a system that could potentially deny a woman the right to control her own body?
