Texas bans abortion as early as 6 weeks and opens up our courts to frivolous lawsuits, despite widespread opposition
Austin, TX – The Texas Legislature just passed SB 8, one of the most extreme anti-abortion bills in the country. If signed by Governor Abbott, this bill will ban abortion as early as six weeks gestation. This is essentially a total ban on abortion because most Texans don’t even know that they are pregnant at 6 weeks.
To make matters worse, anti-abortion lawmakers have opened the door for frivolous, harassing lawsuits against their own constituents. SB 8 makes it possible for any person, anywhere to sue anyone in Texas for helping someone access abortion care after the 6 week mark. They don’t have to have any proof, and if they lose, they don’t have to cover legal fees. The intent of the bill is clear: to avoid constitutional scrutiny by not allowing the state to enforce its own restriction and to harass and bankrupt abortion providers and the support system of people seeking an abortion in Texas.
More than 300 lawyers and 200 physicians in Texas signed open letters to the House Speaker demanding that he stop this dangerous bill from passing—because it poses a serious threat to our legal infrastructure and healthcare system. Additionally, recent polling shows that even Republican and pro-life voters think this bill goes to far. The passage of SB 8 makes it clear that our state government is controlled by extremists who value their own political gain over their constituents’ values and interests.
Avow Executive Director Aimee Arrambide issued the following statement:
“Just a few months ago, Texans were freezing to death in their homes. Instead of focusing on fixing our power grid, our state Legislature used its power to force through one of the most extreme and dangerous abortion bans in the country. Extremist legislators are hellbent on making Texas the most hostile state to abortion rights in the country and endangering the lives of Texans. These anti-abortion lawmakers have made it clear: they do not care what the cost of their hateful agenda is, as long as they get their political win.”
Avow Political Director Caroline Duble issued the following statement:
“We are disgusted by our state leaders’ inability to meet the needs of their constituents or to work on issues that Texans actually care about. State elections are right around the corner, and we will be there in 2022 to remind voters of the rampant extremism of this session. Until then, we will continue to stand up for what we know is right, because we have seen the positive impact that abortion care can have on a person’s life and in our communities.”
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