Texas bill clarifying when doctors can perform life-saving abortions wins early House vote

((Texas Tribune-The House of Representatives voted 129-6 on Wednesday to approve a draft law to clarify the prohibition of abortion near Texas, after that The Senate passed Unanimous last month. Despite the wide support of the two parties of the draft law, some conservative legislators have raised concerns about whether this will create a loophole that allows doctors the “rubber seal” prohibited otherwise.

Bell sponsor. Charlie GereenThe fans of Fort Worth stressed that this was not a “selection bill”, but rather an attempt to ensure the current limits of the law “is clear, consistent, fair and understandable.”

“We do not want women to die from medical emergencies while they are pregnant,” said Jerin. “We do not want to destroy a woman’s life because their bodies have been seriously weak.”

Texas banned all miscarriages three years ago, with a narrow exception that allows doctors to end the pregnancy only to save the life of the pregnant patient. Immediately, doctors and legal experts warned that this exception was very narrow and mysterious book, and the sanctions are very severe, to ensure women get life -saving care.

This has proven true in many cases. Dozens of women progress With the necessary abortion stories, medically delayed or rejected, and At least three women died As a result of these laws. In the face of these stories, Republican lawmakers admit that the language of law may need some clearing.

Senate Bill 31Which is also called the life of the mother, does not expand exceptions or restore access to miscarriage. Instead, it aims to clarify when the doctor can end the pregnancy according to the current exceptions by aligning the language between the laws of abortion in the state, and the judgment of the court and requires education for doctors and lawyers on the nuances of the law.

The draft law was tightly negotiated between the pressure groups of doctors, hospitals, antigenant combat groups and Republican legislators, including Senator. Brian Hughes From Miniola, who has composed the bill, and Jereen.

“These groups do not always see face faces,” said Jereen. “But in this case, they worked together to ensure appropriate and timely care.”

Clarification, or enhance miscarriage?

In the Senate, the Republicans threw their support behind the draft law, while the Democrats fell to its estate, noting that the Texas Law still does not allow abortion in cases of rape, incest or fatal fetal cases.

“The people who work on this reform are, in my view, the people who created the problem,” said Houston Senat. Molly Cook. “Over the past four years, we have seen women suffer and die, and this is the draft law is to emphasize that we all agree that there is something in Texas.”

However, in the House of Representatives, the draft law faced the opposite winds from the right, as conservative Republicans gathered to the idea that this bill will allow doctors to resume optional abortion. Representative Brent Moni, a Republican in Greenville, said he believed that the laws were clear as written, but there were “malicious interpretations” by the doctors who support abortion.

“People who want to promote abortion have tried to make it mysterious, what is our current law,” Moni said. “Thus, my question is for you, is this law written to ensure that the harmful actors will not be able to find gaps to allow abortion that will not be allowed under our current law?”

Jereen described his ideal record of voting on every action to combat abortion that comes before the House of Representatives in his long career, and the money and his conservative colleagues confirmed that this was not final about the laws.

“We do not promote an abortion on this,” said Jereen.

Many women gathered the republics anti -abortion alongside Green, including Representative Shilby Slouson, a Republic of Steveville, who carried the bill in 2021, which led to Texas prohibiting almost all abortion. This law has been fly as merely writing the intention of the original legislative body to protect Live of Women for pregnant women. They took the microphone to provide examples of times when doctors should be allowed to end the pregnancy – in cases of cancer diagnosis, kidney failure, early membrane tear, ectopic pregnancy.

However, some Republicans were not fulfilled. Representative Presco Kane, the lawyer for Deir Park, who participated in some of the most controversial abortion in the state, asked Jerin whether “children more or less will die” as a result of this bill. Jerene admitted that by emphasizing that doctors could perform abortions to save a woman’s life, more children could have died, although he indicated that many women were traveling outside the country to obtain the same medical care that was rejected in Texas.

Representative Brian Harrison, a Republican in Midalmati, said that he was “concerned” to hear Jereen’s comments, and said that “the high responsibility for tampering with the protection supporting life that has already saved an endless life.”

Some groups of doctors, including the Texas Branch at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, have criticized the bill for not going to it enough to protect the doctors and patients who treat them. Others say these changes will be sufficient to liberate doctors to perform the necessary abortion operations without fear of the prolonged prison sentence and enormous fines.

“At the end of the day, our hope is that political differences will be allocated, because at the heart of this mother is a pregnant woman whose health and safety is on the line,” John Hawkins, President of the Texas Hospital Association said in a statement. “Hospitals and doctors should be able to work on the facts and medical benefits in front of them, without fear of prosecution. We sincerely believe that this will have an immediate and positive impact, which helps us to provide life care for life.”

Despite the decline between the republican factions over the draft law, it was supported by the two overwhelming parties, with only six Republicans, including Harrison, no. Ten Republicans, including Cain and money, refused to vote on the procedure.

The House of Representatives also approved in advance Senate Bill 33 On Wednesday, which is prohibited from a city or a boycott of the use of taxpayers to pay expenditures related to abortion. The draft law targets Austin and San Antonio, where city officials allocated the budgets to support abortion funds that help to push people to travel to abortion clinics outside the country. Despite the efforts made by the Democrats to kill the draft law on procedural foundations, 89-57 has passed.

Disclosure: The Texas Hospital Association was a financial supporter of Texas Tribune, a non -profit news organization, which was partially funded by donations from members, institutions and sponsors of companies. Financial supporters do not play any role in the Tribune press. I am looking for complete A list of them here.

This article originally appeared in Texas Tribune in www.texastribune.org. The Texas Tribune is a non -profit and non -party media organization that teaches Texans – and participates with them – on public policy, politics, government issues and at the state level.

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