Austin News

Gov. Greg Abbott on May 19 signed into law the state’s “Heartbeat Bill,” which would ban abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy or once a child’s heartbeat is detected in the mother’s womb.

The bill, titled Senate Bill 8, was supported by Republicans and a lone Democrat in the Legislature. Proponents said the bill would protect life. Critics contended the bill is an insult to a woman’s right to choose.

"In Texas, we will always lead the way to protect the unborn," Abbott said in a tweet.

A provision of the bill will allow private citizens to sue abortion clinics. Members of the Texas Right-to-Life group said in a Texas Tribune report the bill lets private citizens hold abortion clinics accountable through the filing of private lawsuits, which have not been tried in any other state.

“The Texas Heartbeat Act is the strongest pro-life bill passed by the Legislature since Roe v. Wade,” Rebecca Parma, a spokeswoman for the organization, told the Tribune.   

The report said a flood of letters of protest over the legislation came not only from Democrat lawmakers in the state, but also from doctors across Texas. Critics said the law could have a “chilling effect” on the right to have an abortion, and put rape counselors, nurses and clinic staffers at the mercy of complaint-seekers who will file lawsuits demanding tens of thousands of dollars in damages and liability.

“With their lack of power at the federal level, anti-choice lawmakers across the country are ramping up their attacks on reproductive freedom at the state level, and cruelty appears to be the point,” NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue was quoted in the Tribune.

The report added that the bill will not be enforced by public officials. 

According to a Spectrum News 1 report, under the bill a rapist could sue a rape counselor if the victim became pregnant and had an "illegal abortion" (according to the state) performed. The rapist could also sue the doctor who preformed the abortion.  

A report in USA Today said the impact of the legislation will be to ban most abortions in the state of Texas.

"Our creator endowed us with the right to life, and yet millions of children lose their right to life every year because of abortion," Abbott said. "In Texas we work to save those lives and that's exactly what the Legislature did this session."

The single Democrat supporter of SB8 was Sen. Eddie Lucio, who represents Dist. 27 serving Cameron, Kenedy, Kleberg and Willacy counties.

To view a roll-call vote of SB8 go to legisscan.com.