General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe War on Womens Rights Wages On
The Senate continues its attacks on abortion
By Mary Tuma, Fri., March 3, 2017
The Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs unanimously voted on Feb. 27 to send a bill to the full Senate that allows physicians to withhold news about the health of a fetus. SB 25, by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, would prevent parents from being able to sue their doctor if their child is born with a disability. While the anti-choice lobby claims the bill discourages doctors from suggesting abortion to evade lawsuits, pro-choice testifiers argued the legislation interferes with informed decision-making and condones deceiving patients. "It shouldn't be the policy for the state of Texas to excuse doctors from lying to their patients, but that's what this bill does," said Blake Rocap, NARAL Pro-Choice Texas policy adviser, during the hearing.
The following day, the Texas Senate Business and Commerce Committee heard testimony (mostly) against Friendswood GOP Sen. Larry Taylor's SB 20, which bans private abortion insurance coverage under the ACA, without exceptions for rape, incest, or fetal abnormalities. Testifiers established that women aren't likely to purchase the separate, supplemental coverage for abortion that the bill mandates, as abortion like unexpected emergency surgery isn't really a planned procedure. Testifiers who work in the abortion funding world explained it would be a "de facto ban" and disproportionately increase barriers to abortion access for poor and minority women. "However we feel about abortion, lawmakers shouldn't be allowed to deny a patient's health coverage just because of how they are insured, and people participating in the health care exchange shouldn't have inferior health care services ... including abortion care," said Amanda Williams, executive director of the Lilith Fund. That bill was left pending in committee.
And finally, the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services on Wednesday morning quietly passed a trio of anti-choice bills that had been met with heavy resistance from reproductive health advocates two weeks ago (see "Toxic Masculinity Drops the Hammer," Feb. 23). SB 8 bans the donation of fetal tissue from abortion; SB 415 restricts the most common and safest type of second-trimester abortion procedure (D&E); and SB 258 forces women to bury or cremate their fetus after an abortion or miscarriage.
Those bills now move to the full Senate. Stay tuned.
http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2017-03-03/the-war-on-womens-rights-wages-on/
Mc Mike
(9,114 posts)They're not pro-life, just pro-birth. Recced, thanks BD.
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)crowd run around with their hair on fire terrified with the crazy idea that sharia law is coming to infiltrate their country. They have zero appreciation of separation of church and state, which is as un-American as one can get. They are not pro-life at all, I agree.
Mc Mike
(9,114 posts)They hate all the same people, have the same aims, think exactly the same. Teahadis.
Wounded Bear
(58,647 posts)This is such sanctimonious bullshit.
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)Solly Mack
(90,762 posts)BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)Important to know what women are up against.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)Averagegrunt
(62 posts)If a woman does not want to bring someone into this world that can not have a real standard of living should have that choice.