Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed a ban on abortion after six weeks of gestation. The bill makes no exception for rape or incest victims.
Abbott signed the bill into law on Wednesday that only allows for abortion after six weeks in light of a medical emergency. The new legislation also gives Texas residents the power to sue abortion providers or anyone who assists someone with getting an abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected. The new law will take effect on September 1st.
Drucilla Tigner, who serves as policy and advocacy strategist at the ACLU in Texas, says that the ban violates federal legislation.
“Not only does this ban violate more than half a century of Supreme Court case law, it paves the way for anti-choice extremists to use our court system to go after anyone who performs abortions or considers supporting a person that has one,” Tigner explained.
Abbott says lawmakers passed the bill to ensure that “that the life of every unborn child who has a heartbeat will be saved from the ravages of abortion.”
When asked about the lack of abortion exceptions for rape or incest victims, Senator Bryan Hughes says that law enforcement should handle the rapists without punishing the unborn child.
With many pregnancies, women do not find out until they reach six or more weeks. This ruling essentially eliminates a woman’s right to choose if she finds out about the pregnancy after the six-week mark.
