This Wednesday, Texas has become the biggest state that exhibits a law to ban abortions — especially with a crucial time restriction when most women are not even aware of their pregnancy.
There are no exceptions, this includes cases of rape and incest.
The new law, signed by governor Greg Abbott, leaves enforcement to file lawsuits against private citizens who are helping women to get an abortion. This includes a community of doctors, nurses, front desk staff, and drivers that help assist the pregnant women.
Abbott has signed a bill that puts Texas on the same level as other states that ban abortions after the detection of a heartbeat, which is as early as six weeks into pregnancy. This new law will go into effect in September if the federal courts do not stop it by then.
However, the Supreme Court just agreed to take up a Mississippi law that does ban abortions after fifteen weeks, over double the time that Texas gives to get an abortion.
Abortion rights activists are worried that ruling is based on the state’s favoritism and can revert back to history if there are more restrictions. This includes so-called fetus heartbeat bills. The bill in Texas is unique than others, allowing anyone to sue an abortion provider or anyone else who might have helped someone to get an abortion, providing up to $10,000 worth of damage per defendant.
At the moment, abortion is banned after 20 weeks with exceptions of a life-threatening medical condition or if the fetus has a severe abnormality.
The new law will cut the 20 weeks down to 6 weeks and there are no exceptions. This will be going to the Supreme Court for Mississippi’s case in the fall, the decision will most likely be known in spring of 2022.
Pro-abortion activists claim that this case could be a threat to a woman’s right to choose. The new Supreme Court judge, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, admitted that she would not be able to act as an impartial due to her religion. Sources insisted that she wanted to recuse herself from some cases such as the death penalty or abortion.
Some Texas physicians are concerned that the new bill would expose doctors to the risk of “frivolous lawsuits that threaten our ability to provide healthcare. Regardless of our personal beliefs about abortion… we implore you not to weaponize the judicial branch against us to make a political point.”