Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) claimed victory in the age-old debate on when human life begins. Abbott signed an abortion law, that will go into effect in September, that human life begins once a fetal heartbeat has been detected.
The “Heartbeat” bill will prohibit Texas clinics from performing or inducing abortions once a fetal heartbeat has been detected. The law also contains a “first-of-its-kind legal provision” that allows private citizens to file civil suits against abortion clinics over alleged violations. This provision allows the clinic to be enforced by members of the community while not having to rely on the state to enforce the ban.
“It’s a very unique law and it’s a very clever law,” Josh Blackman, a constitutional law professor at South Texas College of Law Houston, told the Tribune. “Planned Parenthood can’t go to court and sue Attorney General [Ken] Paxton like they usually would because he has no role in enforcing the statute. They have to basically sit and wait to be sued.”
Under the new law, formally called Texas Bill SB 8, physicians must test for a fetal heartbeat prior to an abortion and “may not knowingly perform or induce an abortion on a pregnant woman if the physician detected a fetal heartbeat for the unborn child.”
Abbot stated that the abortion law will ensure “the life of every unborn child who has a heartbeat will be saved from the ravages of abortion.”
“Our creator endowed us with the right to life and yet millions of children lose their right to life every year because of abortion. In Texas, we work to save those lives, and that’s exactly what the Texas legislature did this session. They worked together on a bipartisan basis to pass a bill,” remarked Abbott.
Under the text of the new law, exceptions to the abortion ban are allowed when the physician determines that a “medical emergency exists.” In these specific cases, “the physician who performs or induces the abortion shall execute a written document that certifies the abortion is necessary due to a medical emergency and specifies the woman ’s medical condition requiring the abortion.”
The Planned Parenthood Action Fund has called the law “dangerous” and vowed to fight it.
Today, @GovAbbott signed #SB8, a dangerous law that would ban abortion before most people even know they are pregnant.
The majority of Texans support access to safe and legal abortion—but politicians are *still* attacking abortion access. https://t.co/XOXIBUCaEU
— Planned Parenthood Action (@PPact) May 19, 2021
