While there has been intense interest in legislation designed to abolish abortion, the chairman of the committee overseeing the legislation said he could not support it because it criminalized women who have an abortion.
Plano Republican Jeff Leach, who chairs the House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence, issued the following statement on House Bill 896.
“I have always been on the front-lines in the fight for the sanctity of life, both personally—through my active involvement with pregnancy resource centers and pro-life ministries—and as an elected official, where I have authored and supported some of the nation’s strongest pro-life laws.
My commitment to advancing the pro-life cause is stronger than ever and that’s why I cannot in good conscience support House Bill 896—legislation that subjects women who undergo abortions to criminal liability and even the possibility of the death penalty. Trusted pro-life legislators and advocates agree with me that this bill moves our state and the pro-life cause in the wrong direction and it will not be advanced from the House Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence.”
A statement by the bill’s author, State Rep. Tony Tinderholt of Arlington, can be found here.
