The Texas House State Affairs Committee held a hearing on a proposed law that would create strict penalties for distributing abortion-inducing drugs in the state.
House Bill 5510 by State Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Allen) aims to crack down on out-of-state abortion pill providers. The bill would allow anyone in Texas to file a lawsuit against those distributing abortion drugs, with potential penalties of at least $100,000. It would also hold manufacturers and distributors liable even if the drugs are used out of state.
Leach emphasized he intends to “save innocent, unborn lives,” citing Pope Francis’ statement that “a child is always a gift.”
Supporters of the bill, like Dr. John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life, argued that over 34,000 Texas babies are still being killed by abortion pills annually.
“Big abortion is currently offloading responsibility to women,” Seago testified.
Katlyn Marburger, executive director of Brenham and Bryan Pregnancy Center, shared what she saw in a case of a woman taking the abortion pill unaided.
A local college student came to us after taking the abortion pill … She took them alone in her dorm room, believing what the abortion websites told her, that it would be easy, safe, and over quickly. But within hours, she was in severe pain, bleeding heavily, and had to be rushed to the ER by ambulance.
Whitney Freeman, Director of Medical Services for Prestonwood Pregnancy Center, testified that “women have a right to informed consent that does not happen through asynchronous telemedicine. There is no informed consent.”
A woman a few weeks ago came into our clinic, and her boyfriend had ordered abortion pills online and given them to her, unknowingly. She’s no longer pregnant, even though this child was very wanted. That is not health care.
“We had another woman a few weeks ago whose fever was 104 degrees for over a week, and the hospital told her that that could be a normal symptom of pregnancy and sent her home, because she was told not to tell them that she had attempted to self-manage abortion. That is not health care,” added Freeman. “Trauma does not fix trauma.”
Kori Peterson shared her personal abortion experience with Planned Parenthood at 19 years old. “It was the most devastating choice I ever made in my life.”
As devastating as my in-clinic abortion was, I cannot imagine facing the horrors of abortion via the abortion pill in my own home, alone and terrified, as most women are.
“Abortion is harmful to women,” Peterson stated emphatically. “Texas, nor any government, should facilitate the murder of human life nor harm to women.”
Opponents of the legislation also turned out in force, with UT law student Clara Altfeld testifying that Texas’ pro-life laws make her ashamed to be a Texan.
“What I hear when I hear sanctity of life is that my life is not sacred, only my uterus is,” said Altfeld.
Matilda Miller testified against the bill, stating, “It is horrifying to me that anybody can look at the effects of Texas’ abortion ban and think that this state needs more of that.”
The bill was left pending in committee.
