Texas Abortion Bill Tentatively Passes House
Thursday's debate on Stephenville Republican state Rep. Sid Miller's abortion sonogram bill, House Bill 15, began shortly after 2 p.m. It ended shortly after 9 p.m. The bill passed to third reading on a vote of 103-42, which means one easy step remains before it heads to the Senate.
"Anytime you abort a human life, that's probably the most tragic procedure that could ever be performed," Miller said. "If we can save human lives, that is an emergency."
In fact, the abortion sonogram bill is one of a handful of legislative issues given "emergency" status ...
Comments (28)
Deborah Moss Sisco via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Texas Is anti women!
Frank M. Carrejo via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Texas govt knows what is best for your body.
Chris Thornton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Texas is not anti-woman. Texas is anti-baby murdering.
Marga Simmons via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I appreciated the efforts on the part of the opposition. Emergency legislation ?
Catherine Hardy via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Ladies... Are you aware that this is optional? The doctor is required to inform you of the option to have a sonogram, but a woman is free to refuse.
Judy Burns via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This bill is an embarrassment to the state. Implementation will be a nightmare. No surprise that it passed. So much easier than dealing with the state's REAL problems-like that pesky $27 B deficit.
Laura Watts Kinnison via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I'd like Sid Miller to get his hand out of my uterus please.
Beverly Nuckols via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Why is informed consent, while awake and while there's time for choice, "antiwoman?"The ultrasounds are already being done, to stage and age, and then, to prove that nothing's left.
Steven Phenix via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This makes me sick. On the upside this bill just created a lot of passionate single issue issue voters. See you on election day, cretins.
Deborah Moss Sisco via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If Texas was truly against murdering babies as you put it then where is the help for poor families after the child is born? What about easy access to birth control so there are no unwanted pregnancies? What about real sex education in the schools?
Annette Bryant
Chris, Texas is not interested is supporting the baby! Gov. Perry is interested in trying to degrade and shame women. So much for doctor/patient confidentiality. Why is it that the woman pays and the man goes on his happy little way. Why not take the mans' DNA (or better yet, all male partners) and force him to pay for the child if he cannot keep it in his pants in the first place. Why is Texas so interested in invading the womans body when we have important things the Legislation should be working on like the 27 Billion dollar dificiet, creating jobs, immigration, etc. The patient and doctor knows what is best for the woman. The woman knows if she cannot afford or emotionally able to raise a child -Texas is not going to do it.
Deborah, you are so right! Remember, this all started with Gov. Perry who is trying to hide the real problems he has made in the past 12 years. I want Carter back; he really did care about the people, Rep. or Dems'.
Truth Hurts
Republicans LOVE kids ... except when they're calling them "anchor babies," stripping them of their public American education, making them sleep in CPS offices, cutting their CHIP health insurance ... and well, you get the picture. Guess humiliating women is a good political distraction from the real GOP record on kids in Texas.
Kristin Miller White via Texas Tribune on Facebook
People need to know that sonogram this early in pregnancy cannot taken on the OUTSIDE of the tummy. Look the rest up yourself. You will be even angrier.
Brian Johns
"Catherine Hardy via Texas Tribune on Facebook: Ladies... Are you aware that this is optional? The doctor is required to inform you of the option to have a sonogram, but a woman is free to refuse."
This is absolutely incorrect. The ONLY exception to the performance of the sonogram is a "medical emergency," narrowly defined as a life threatening physical condition that is caused by or arises from the pregnancy. The sonogram itself, the displaying of the images, and making the heartbeat audible are mandatory for ALL other abortions.
Karen Cummings
I think it is ironic that Texas laws mandate that a teenager must obtain parental consent/notification to obtain an abortion or birth control; yet a teenager in Texas can legally sign away her parental rights without parental consent or notification.
A similar bill is being litigated in OK as we speak.
Another irony--these lawmakers do not like the health care mandate but think it is okay to mandate a medical procedure.
Mike C. Miller via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Chris And this from a guy with a racist symbol on his avatar. Amazing what a screwed up State we live in.
Scott Kilpatrick via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Catherine: Thanks for pointing that out. The bill does allow the woman to choose not to receive this information (Sec 171.055 http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/82R/billtext/html/HB00015I.htm). Although I wonder how many people will know they have the right to tell the provider to shut up. In any case, this makes me feel a little better about it.
Another fun observation from reading this bill: Sec 171.052(b)(3) states that the Department of State Health Services must provide the medical information that providers explain in both English and Spanish! The GOP hates doing anything for the Hispanic community unless they're allowed to pressure their women out of abortions.
Scott Kilpatrick via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Beverly: You think the woman can't already ask about the sonogram if she's curious? Are providers really so cold and mechanical that they'd smack down the request with "no, we have to hurry before the next one."
Catherine Hardy via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I repeat. Under this bill, a woman is not required to have a sonogram prior to having an abortion, but the doctor is required to offer her the CHOICE as to whether to have one or not. Key word here being "choice," as in pro-choice.
Karen Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Catherine Hardy,
I believe you are incorrect:
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/82R/analysis/html/HB00015H.htm
Susan Stella Floyd via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Are women also going to be forced to watch videos about the pain, expense, and possible complications involved in carrying a child to term and delivering it? Or about the economic and emotional perils being a mother - especially in an anti-children state like Texas with its social and legislative mechanisms severely limiting access to affordable health care, secure employment, and education? The anti-abortion movement (especially those who believe in an exception for rape) is about punishing women for having sex; i.e. punishing women for having non-state-and-religion-sanctioned sex; i.e. punishing women for daring to demand full humanity, including sovereignty over their own bodies. I will resist this BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY, and I hope you will join me. All of you so-called conservatives make me SICK, and you WILL NOT control my life - not through your churches, not through your social pressures and self-righteous judgments, not through guilt, and certainly not through legislation. You are scapegoating the wrong people in a pathetic effort to control your fear of the real world, of those different than you, and of life itself. Grow up and face reality. Dare to think critically. Stop being so obsessed with the personal choices of others. Blame the people who have actually destroyed the potential of America - not women, not minorities, not immigrants, not liberals, not atheists, not homosexuals - greedy oligarchs whose only concern is profit and the cynical charlatan politicians who do their dirty work.
rick brantd
"C.S.H.B. 15 requires a physician performing an abortion to also perform a sonogram on the expectant woman 72 to 24 hours before the procedure, except in cases where the mother's life is endangered."
from the top of the bill listed at the URL http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/82R/analysis/html/HB00015H.htm
nothing about increase in budget or requiring health insurers to cover the cost... it not being done for medical, but rather, political reasons, this seems contrary to most Republicans high respect for capital.
Dona Bolding via Texas Tribune on Facebook
say it ain't so.
Scott Kilpatrick via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Karen: Why do you suggest she is incorrect? I posted the mention of it in the bill's text (Sec. 171.055), and even in the analysis you posted it says this:
"C.S.H.B. 15 exempts a physician and pregnant woman from a penalty that is based solely on the pregnant woman's choice not to receive the information required to be provided during the performance of the sonogram."
Granted, I think the bill is an invasive, unnecessary political move, but this made me worry about it a bit less.
Ryan Thompson
Where are the Tea Party-ers to fight this government intrusion on our rights?
Ed Caffrey via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Slippery slope, VERY slippery slope.... And to Chris Thornton, maybe you should stick to learning what a "traitor" is given your profile picture.
Annette Bryant
Yes, you "DO" have to have the sonogram. It is not the type that is rubbed over the outside of the belly at that stage either! It goes inside and last about 45 minutes. The doctor has to be sure he got all of it so there is no infection. My friend lost per baby and this is what the doc must do. It is painful and degrading that it is required. A woman knows if she can finincanial or emotionally afford to have a baby. Republicans just want her to have it; they do not care nor support the child or mother after it is born. I would hate to be born to a woman who did not want me and be forced to live in poverty or raised by a woman who was not emotionally able or willing to raise me. Do not tell me about adoption either; there are too many children out there who would love to have a home, have waited so many years, and have been switched from one place to another. They become too old to be desired for aboption. Remember this is one of Gov. Perry's top priorities. What about jobs, the little thing about 27 Billion, immigration, etc. Since when did we become so interested in patient/doctor privacy issues? Oh, was it right after Perry was elected again and we found out we were NOT only 11 billion in the red? Are we being sideblinded by the issues and we are paying the Lesislature for this! What a waste of taxpayer money and making Texas a laughing stock! I was born and raised in Texas and love the people but I had what Perry has done to it in the past 12 years...sad.
Annette Bryant
How degrading to Texas women Perry! Is this supposed to be punishment for a woman who had sex and the man gets nothing. Texas is not going to support the child; they just want it to be born. Perry needs to keep his hand and eyes out the Texas womans uterous. I think the woman and her doctor are perfectly capable of making a decision. I would not want to be born to a woman who cannot emotionally or financially aford to have a chile. There are too many children up for adoption now. How much deeper is Perry going to go into our personal lives when he is already between the doctor and patient and now in our bedrooms! Why not teach our children sex education and birth control verses closing schools. Good job Perry, I guess you and your cronies are laughing your heads off lying to the public. 11 Billion in the red then as soon as he is elected we find out we are 27 Billion in the red.
Texas is already 48th in the Nation; I guess he is going for 50th! He does not care, he only cares about himself and his rich cronies. Look at his eyes; he looks like the Chrismas Grinch! After all, he will be retired and does not care about our future.