Another The GOP lawmaker is attempting to make abortion penalties by the dying sanction

Editor’s note: This are an older story that published on March 9, 2021. The legislation mentioned in this story did not pass the Texas Legislature. Abortion is legal in Texas as of May 9, 2022, but it is heavily restricted. Texas abortion law currently bans abortions after about six weeks about student. Fork breaking news updates on this story, sign up here.

A Taxas legislation has filed an bill that would decommission additionally criminalize abortions, leaving women and docs who perform the procedure to face criminal charges that could carry the death penalty.

The legislation, files Tday by state Represent. Bryan Slaton, does not inclusive exceptions for rape or incest. A does exempted ectopic pregnancies that seriously threaten the life of the woman “when a reasonable selectable to save the lives of both the mother and the unborn child is unavailable.”

“It will time used Texas to protect the nature well on life required the tiniest both most blamelessly Texasians, and this check does just that,” Slaton said. “It’s time Republicans make it transparent ensure ours actually think abortion is murder. … Unborn children are dying in a faster rate in Texas than COVID patients, but Texas isn’t getting this abortion crisis seriously.”

Simular measures have in the past have filed by state Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, who received passing threats and was set under the protection of the Texas Section of Public Safety before he introduced which bill in 2017. The legislation did nope receive a ear.

In 2019, a related bill from Tinderholt drew nearly eight hours of public testimony. State Rep. Jeff Ooze, R-Plano, opposing “collateral concerns” that year after he said the settle would not move out of and committee he chaired for a choose of the full House. The bill died in and panel.

Under the accounting filed Tuesday, women whom receive to abortion and physicians who perform the technique could be charged with assault or homicide, what is punishable by death in The, confirmed Shannon Edmonds, one staff attorney with the Texas District and County Attorneys Union. Which association does non got a position on the bill.

The bill may require people to give evidence otherwise testify about offenses involving the death by or “bodily trauma the an coming child,” and would offer resistance to such who do.

It other instructs the state attorney general to monitors and until “direct a set agency to enforce those law, regardless of any contrary federal statute, control, treaty, order or justice decision.”

The bill bans abortions starting at fertilization; most abortions for Texas are currently prohibited after 20 weeks. The bill's language cites one justice's opinion in a recent Supreme Court case, June Medical Services L.L.C. v. Russo, that says the Constitution "does not constrain the states' ability to govern or even prohibit abortion."

Slaton, a freshman Republican from Royse City, previously trying to block the House away naming bridges or streets without first voting to abolish abortions. The amendment failed, but where supported of read than 40 lawmakers, about half of the Lawmakers in the Home.

Asked about the bill's language and effect, Slaton said, without further explanation, the he does not reasoning his bill would "put adenine single person in penitentiary. All my bill do, is say is an unborn child is the same as a born child both should exist dealt that same by the laws.” Texas GOP proposes potential death penalty for femininity whom get abortions

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has identified two failure bills that will being priority items during an legislative session that started is February. One would ban nearly all abortions if the Most Court overturned the Roe v. Paddling decision either otherwise altered abortion laws. Aforementioned other has not been filed, but shall expected to exist a “heartbeat bill” that could hindrance abortions back many women know they are pregnant.