LWVTX Blog

By Catherine Maxwell, LWVTX Issue Chair for Women's Healthcare and Reproductive Rights

LWVTX put out an action alert last week on SB 1195 that gives the Attorney General authority to require local prosecutors to report on their investigations under the Election and Health and Safety codes. If no charges are filed within six months, the AG is required to step in to the local jurisdiction and proceed with the prosecution. The Health and Safety Code includes abortion as a crime. The bill flew through the Senate and is now in committee in the House. LWVTX opposes SB 1195, because we believe local decisions should be left to local officials.

SB 1401, bill protecting the rights of victims of sexual assault or other sexual offense, has passed the Senate and the House and is headed for the Governor. This bill outlines procedures for treating the victim with respect as well as providing guidelines for reimbursements on some matters.

I have been mentioning that there is no movement on bills covering reproductive rights—save for SB 1195 which doesn’t address them directly. Most of those bills have not left their respective committees. Among them are SJR 21/HJR 62 that let Texans vote on an constitution amendment to establish the right to personal reproductive autonomy. SB 227 would repeal all laws prohibiting abortion. HB 2000/HB 979/SB 122 would repeal the law prohibiting an abortion in the case of sexual assault or incest. SB 78 would ensure a women’s right to abortion-inducing drugs. On the other side is HB 2709 that would cancel the legal protections a pregnant person currently enjoys from prosecution and make them criminally liable if they have an abortion.

Apparently, in Texas, it will be up to the Courts to negotiate many of the protections, or lack of them, afforded the pregnant.