First ever legal provisions allows almost any private citizen to sue abortion providers and makes getting abortion almost impossible
(The Slice):Abortions are now illegal in the state of Texas at six weeks and anyone who seeks or assists with them could potentially face law suits or jail time.
Known as the "heartbeat ACt" SB8 has blocked nearly all abortions. The court decided not to hear an appeal in the state Supreme Court blocking the efforts of pro-abortion advocates. Six weeks is the period when a fetal heartbeat can be detected. Rape and incest cases are not exempt under the policy Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law that took effect legally on Wednesday.
Unlike in other states with similar laws, the Texas law is more strict allowing for private citizens to file civil lawsuits against the woman getting an abortion, abortion providers and anyone they believe to be helping women get abortions. This broadness in interpretation of the law is the threat to more people indirectly involved in the procedure, which is the biggest change since the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.
Proponents of the bill say the right to life comes from God. Ultimately, this measure will cause abortion clinics to shut down and Roe V. Wade to be overturned.
"We know full well how much anti-abortion extremists congregate outside of abortion clinics," Kanyon Conner the executive director of the Texas Equal Access Fund said.
"We also know that they already oftentimes are looking at, and taking down, peoples' license plate numbers. We are concerned that they would pretty much try to file suit against anyone walking into the clinic because they don't have to have any proof of what's happening. They just have to have an inkling."
On the other hand' some anti-abortion advocates view abortion as contributing to an already difficult situation.
A group of pro-choice churches that have banned together to assist with educating women about their reproductive rights could be penalized possibly under the new law.. A week ago more than two dozen Texas congregations declared publicly that access to reproductive health care is a human right, with about 70 more undergoing a process to designate them as "Reproductive Freedom Congregations."
Faith leaders go through a month-ong process to learn about reproductive health care and how to advocate for better access to services that include contraception, abortion, prenatal and pregnancy care and comprehensive sex education according to Religious News Service.
Another aspect of the extreme Texas restrictions is that the law appears to be racially targeted.
PubMed.gov conducted a study on yhebratebof abortions among ethnic groups in Texas and concluded that HB2 impacted mostly Hispanic women. The results of the research follows:
"Results: In Texas, there were 64,716 reported abortions in 2012 and 54,253 in 2015. Statewide, there was a 20% decrease in the abortion rate affecting all racial-ethnic groups, yet the reduction was greater among Hispanic women compared to White women (-25% vs. -16%, respectively). The abortion rate also decreased more among those living in a county with an HB2-related clinic closure, especially for Hispanic women (-41% Hispanic vs. -29% White vs. -30% Black vs. -3% Other). Hispanic women whose travel distance increased 100+ miles had the greatest reduction in the abortion rate (-43%). Geospatial mapping confirmed our quantitative findings.
Conclusion: HB2 led to a disproportionate reduction in the abortion rate among Hispanic women in Texas, including those living in counties with a closed clinic or traveling long distances to obtain in-clinic abortion care.
Implications: Restrictive abortion policies in Texas may disproportionately burden Hispanic women and those affected by clinic closures."
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