Texas Democrats File Bills to Roll Back Abortion Restrictions
The proposals come after Democrats won the Texas governor’s race and a majority in the state House. Republicans will retain control of the Senate, where a Democratic lieutenant governor-elect is set to preside. Democrats say the change in power creates an opening to revisit abortion laws that have been in place since the state’s near-total ban took effect in 2022.
State Rep. Donna Howard introduced a broad measure that would repeal the 2022 ban, the 2021 six-week restriction and a 1925 abortion law. It would also remove parental-notification rules for minors and mandatory waiting periods. Other House proposals would repeal some or all of the abortion restrictions, while one would retain the six-week limit and require an examination before abortion pills are provided, followed by a visit within 14 days.
Two Senate bills would create additional exceptions. One would allow abortions after rape or incest, without requiring a police report or other evidence. Another would permit abortion throughout pregnancy when a fetus has a fatal condition, subject to review by two doctors and, after 24 weeks, an ethics committee.
Democrats have also said they hope to negotiate narrower changes, including protections for doctors providing abortions in medical emergencies. Howard acknowledged that a full repeal is unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled Senate. The incoming attorney general, Nathan Johnson, said pursuing abortion providers in other states would not be a priority, but has not said how his office will handle existing cases.
Texas Democrats Move to Challenge Abortion Ban After Election Wins
Texas Democrats are moving to undo abortion restrictions they say have put patients and doctors at risk, after winning the governor’s race and a majority in the state House. The laws have been linked to the deaths of multiple women. Republicans still control the Senate, but Democrats say they will press for repeal and negotiate exceptions where possible.
State Rep. Donna Howard’s sweeping proposal would repeal the state’s 2022 near-total ban, its six-week restriction and a 1925 law. Other bills would add exceptions for rape or incest and fatal fetal conditions. Democrats are also seeking protections for doctors who provide abortions in medical emergencies and greater scrutiny of anti-abortion centers receiving public funds.
A full repeal faces a major obstacle in the Republican-controlled Senate. Howard has said lawmakers will put repeal legislation before the chamber while recognizing that a narrower agreement may be more attainable. The proposals put the stakes of Texas’ abortion laws before lawmakers as the state’s new leadership takes office.
Incoming Attorney General Nathan Johnson has said pursuing providers in other states will not be among his priorities. He has not yet said whether his office will drop existing cases.
Texas Democrats Target State’s Abortion Protections
Texas Democrats are using their election gains to challenge laws that protect unborn children from abortion. Their proposals would dismantle the state’s near-total ban or create new exceptions, even as Republicans retain control of the Senate and can block a full repeal.
State Rep. Donna Howard’s broad bill would scrap the 2022 ban, the six-week limit and a 1925 restriction, along with parental-notification rules for minors and mandatory waiting periods. Other measures would allow abortions after rape or incest, or when a fetus has a fatal condition. One proposal would allow abortion throughout pregnancy in fatal-condition cases, with review by two doctors and an ethics committee after 24 weeks.
Democrats say they may have better prospects negotiating narrower exceptions, including for medical emergencies. That approach would still loosen restrictions rather than preserve them. Howard has acknowledged that a complete repeal is unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled Senate.
The incoming attorney general, Nathan Johnson, has said that continuing his predecessor’s pursuit of abortion providers in other states is not a priority. He has not said how he will handle the existing cases against providers.
Reported by Breitbart, The 19th.
