Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions[W:240]

[digsbe]

The Texas Senate late Friday passed tough new abortion restrictions after weeks of protests, sending them to Gov. Rick Perry to sign into law.The vote came after weeks of protests and rallies drew thousands to the Capitol and made Texas the focus of the national abortion debate.
Republicans used their majority to pass the bill nearly three weeks after a filibuster by Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis and an outburst by abortion-rights supporters in the Senate gallery disrupted a deadline vote.
Called back for a new special session by Perry, lawmakers took up the bill again as thousands of supporters and opponents held rallies and jammed the Capitol to testify at public hearings.
In a statement released just after the vote, Perry said, "Today the Texas Legislature took its final step in our historic effort to protect life. This legislation builds on the strong and unwavering commitment we have made to defend life and protect women's health."

Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions | Fox News

The hotly contested bill appears to have passed in the Texas state senate and is being sent to the governor's desk. It appears that we've inched a little bit closer to progressing as a nation.

 

[cpwill]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions | Fox News

The hotly contested bill appears to have passed in the Texas state senate and is being sent to the governor's desk. It appears that we've inched a little bit closer to progressing as a nation.

That is good to hear. The days of infanticide (let us hope and pray) are indeed numbered.

 

[Jerry]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions | Fox News

The hotly contested bill appears to have passed in the Texas state senate and is being sent to the governor's desk. It appears that we've inched a little bit closer to progressing as a nation.

Soooo.....what are the new restrictions?

 

[RabidAlpaca]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

Soooo.....what are the new restrictions?

Those poor victims have to make their decision to abort before 20 weeks. How can anybody make a decision like that in so little time?

 

[digsbe]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

Soooo.....what are the new restrictions?

This appears to be a quick review of it from the article.

House Bill 2 would require doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, allow abortions only in surgical centers, limit where and when women may take abortion-inducing pills and ban abortions after 20 weeks. Only five out of 42 existing abortion clinics meet the requirements to be a surgical center, and clinic owners say they can't afford to upgrade or relocate.

Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions | Fox News

It's still not enough but at least it's a step in the right direction.

 

[X Factor]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

One of the reasons I live in Texas. Bravo.

 

[alexa]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

Those poor victims have to make their decision to abort before 20 weeks. How can anybody make a decision like that in so little time?

I think most abortions are before 12 weeks, certainly in the UK. Late abortions are usually for medical reasons.

Were you being sarcastic about the time?

 

[tessaesque]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

I think most abortions are before 12 weeks, certainly in the UK. Late abortions are usually for medical reasons.

Were you being sarcastic about the time?

The commonly accepted edict in the U.S. is no abortion after the point of viability, which is currently believed to occur between weeks 22 and 24. In that sense, the Texas law is "more restrictive" than what is currently considered acceptable.

 

[MaggieD]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions | Fox News

The hotly contested bill appears to have passed in the Texas state senate and is being sent to the governor's desk. It appears that we've inched a little bit closer to progressing as a nation.

Good intentions run amok.

The new law will be struck down.

House Bill 2 would require doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, allow abortions only in surgical centers, limit where and when women may take abortion-inducing pills and ban abortions after 20 weeks. Only five out of 42 existing abortion clinics meet the requirements to be a surgical center, and clinic owners say they can't afford to upgrade or relocate.

Sen. Glen Hegar of Katy, the bill's Republican author, argued that all abortions, including those induced with medications, should take place in an ambulatory surgical center in case of complications.

Read more: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions | Fox News

They should have stopped with banning abortions at 12 or 16 weeks and left it at that.

 

[nota bene]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

This appears to be a quick review of it from the article.



Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions | Fox News

It's still not enough but at least it's a step in the right direction.

From your link, Digsbe: "Only five out of 42 existing abortion clinics meet the requirements to be a surgical center, and clinic owners say they can't afford to upgrade or relocate."

The pro-choice concern is that this will effectively close most of the abortion clinics in Texas.

Some details here: Issue in Texas Abortion Debate: What's an Ambulatory Surgical Center? | KUT News

Of course, there is no reason pro-choice orgs can't begin fundraising to keep those clinics open.

 

[alexa]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

The commonly accepted edict in the U.S. is no abortion after the point of viability, which is currently believed to occur between weeks 22 and 24. In that sense, the Texas law is "more restrictive" than what is currently considered acceptable.

Yes, it's 24 weeks in the UK

 

[Kal'Stang]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions | Fox News

The hotly contested bill appears to have passed in the Texas state senate and is being sent to the governor's desk. It appears that we've inched a little bit closer to progressing as a nation.

This legislation builds on the strong and unwavering commitment we have made to defend life and protect women's health."

I haven't read the bill. From what I have read in this thread it basically bans abortions after 20 weeks gestation. The question I have is does it have exceptions for rape, medical complications where the mothers life is threatened and perhaps a more debateable something physically wrong with the baby in which if born it would not either live long outside the womb or have a decent quality of life? While my third stipulation is far more debateable I do believe that the other two should most definitely be made exceptions. Are they?

 

[alexa]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

Good intentions run amok.

The new law will be struck down.



They should have stopped with banning abortions at 12 or 16 weeks and left it at that.

Well you know there Rapid might have a point. I know someone who waited till the day she was going for her abortion which was around 13 weeks before she told her husband she would never forgive him if she had it and until that moment she did not know that was true.

Also, I take it that exceptions are made for medical conditions.

 

[RabidAlpaca]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

I think most abortions are before 12 weeks, certainly in the UK. Late abortions are usually for medical reasons.

Were you being sarcastic about the time?

I was being sarcastic about feeling sorry for them, not for the time. The elective cutoff is now 20 weeks, and we have women crying and screaming in the streets. In most of Europe the elective cutoff is 12 weeks. These people are just being melodramatic.

 

[alexa]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

I was being sarcastic about feeling sorry for them, not for the time. The elective cutoff is now 20 weeks, and we have women crying and screaming in the streets. In most of Europe the elective cutoff is 12 weeks. These people are just being melodramatic.

are you sure? It is 24 weeks in the UK? What about medical conditions?

 

[RabidAlpaca]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

are you sure? It is 24 weeks in the UK? What about medical conditions?

Yes, I'm sure. Most of continental Europe has a 12 week elective cutoff. Do the research, it's not hard to find.

For medical conditions, an abortion is allowed at any time, even in Texas.

 

[X Factor]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

What's interesting is that pro abortion rights advocates say by way of defense of abortion that the vast majority of them occur weeks before 20 weeks, so it's puzzling why 20 weeks is so objectionable. It seems like a little double speak going on.

 

[iguanaman]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

Yes, I'm sure. Most of continental Europe has a 12 week elective cutoff. Do the research, it's not hard to find.

For medical conditions, an abortion is allowed at any time, even in Texas.

So if a fetus is determined to have a severe life altering defect it may be aborted in Texas at 21 weeks? I don't see any such stipulation.

 

[Grand Mal]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

That is good to hear. The days of infanticide (let us hope and pray) are indeed numbered.

There were abortions before it was legal and there will still be no matter what laws are passed. If you think abortion is an ugly issue now, you need to look into how it used to be.

 

[alexa]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

Yes, I'm sure. Most of continental Europe has a 12 week elective cutoff. Do the research, it's not hard to find.

For medical conditions, an abortion is allowed at any time, even in Texas.

yes I did BBC News - Europe's abortion rules

most of them have various ways where by it can be done later.

 

[RabidAlpaca]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

So if a fetus is determined to have a severe life altering defect it may be aborted in Texas at 21 weeks? I don't see any such stipulation.

I was talking about risks to the woman. If the woman's life is in real danger, you can abort at any time. Some people try to twist stuff around to say "Well, there's a 1 in a million chance she could die from child birth, so that counts right?"

As far as medical issues with the kid, that depends mostly on the discretion of the doctor, the woman, and the framework of the law. Personally, I'd rather be born retarded or with one arm than never born at all.

yes I did BBC News - Europe's abortion rules

most of them have various ways where by it can be done later.

I'm going to say this a third time because you're not quite getting it. We're talking about ELECTIVE abortions. Which yes, even according to your link is 12 weeks in most of Europe.

What's interesting is that pro abortion rights advocates say by way of defense of abortion that the vast majority of them occur weeks before 20 weeks, so it's puzzled why 20 weeks is so objectionable. It seems like a little double speak going on.

LOL, yeah that always cracks me up.

"Women don't just wait around for 20+ weeks to have an elective abortion!! That's why I'm feverishly arguing for a woman's right to wait 20+ weeks for an elective abortion."

 

[nota bene]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

So if a fetus is determined to have a severe life altering defect it may be aborted in Texas at 21 weeks? I don't see any such stipulation.

Realistically, I don't think you need to worry about this. Even if abortion were entirely illegal, there would be exceptions, and you know this.

 

[alexa]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

What's interesting is that pro abortion rights advocates say by way of defense of abortion that the vast majority of them occur weeks before 20 weeks, so it's puzzled why 20 weeks is so objectionable. It seems like a little double speak going on.

Most abortions are done before 12 weeks but in certain cases like the one I mentioned it might happen that a person had an abortion which with more time they would not..but more so is the possibility of wanting one because the child has serious problems some of which I think are not detectable to around 20 weeks or the Mother herself needing to have one for health reasons.

 

[iguanaman]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

What's interesting is that pro abortion rights advocates say by way of defense of abortion that the vast majority of them occur weeks before 20 weeks, so it's puzzled why 20 weeks is so objectionable. It seems like a little double speak going on.

Except in the case of severe defects in the fetus that are not diagnosed before 20 weeks. So mothers of a fetus without a brain will be forced to carry them to term with no chance of their survival. It is heartless and cruel like most "pro-lifers"

 

[ttwtt78640]

Re: Texas Senate passes sweeping new abortion restrictions

From your link, Digsbe: "Only five out of 42 existing abortion clinics meet the requirements to be a surgical center, and clinic owners say they can't afford to upgrade or relocate."

The pro-choice concern is that this will effectively close most of the abortion clinics in Texas.

Some details here: Issue in Texas Abortion Debate: What's an Ambulatory Surgical Center? | KUT News

Of course, there is no reason pro-choice orgs can't begin fundraising to keep those clinics open.

That was part of the law, increasing the required safety level of legal abortion facilities. Why is requiring a "cosmotology" license OK for hair weaving, if -gasp- they also give you a shampoo (that certainly warrants 300 hours of training!), but restrictions on the safety of abortion facilities is a bad thing?

http://www.license.state.tx.us/cosmet/cosmetrules.htm