Texas GOP Lawmaker Tony Tinderholt authored the Abolition of Abortion in Texas Act, an anti-choice bill that attempts to completely outlaw and criminalize abortion at any stage in Texas, due to his argument that it would “force” women to be “more personally responsible” with sex, according to Cosmopolitan. Under this law, women who seek abortions and doctors who carry them out would be charged with murder. There would be no exception for rape and incest.
His thought process is that women don't feel like they have to take precautions when it comes to sex because they have a "backup" of "'oh, I can just go get an abortion,'" he told The Texas Observer.
He continued, in an undoubtedly condescending tone towards women, to say that "we both know that consenting adults don’t always think smartly sometimes. But consenting adults need to consider the repercussions of the sexual relationship that they’re gonna have, which is a child."
Texas State Rep. Donna Howard fired back (you go Donna Howard!), telling the Texas Observer, "That is so ignorant to think… that women are somehow irresponsibly deciding that they’re going to go ahead and get pregnant because it’s so easy to get an abortion. And for the Legislature to insert themselves in these decisions… it’s just baffling to me that he could have that lack of compassion and understanding for fellow Texans."
Tinderholt told The Texas Observer that this bill would not ban abortions, but simply change "criminal penal codes and statutes." Hmmm...Sure sounds like it's going to ban abortions, if having one would result in a murder charge!
According to the Texas Observer, the bill’s passage is still up in in the air. But that doesn't make the bill itself any less disturbing. This, along with Trump's reinstatement of the global gag rule and Republican attempts to pass a federal "heartbeat bill," show that women's rights will continue to be attacked under our new presidential administration.
