Abbott signs heartbeat abortion law, says Texans work to protect life
May 23, 2021 contributor
A pregnant Texas woman holds an image from a sonogram she received at the Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport, La., Feb. 13, 2020. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a heartbeat measure May 19, 2021, that would prohibit abortions as early as six weeks. (Credit: Lila Engelbrecht/Reuters via CNS.)
The new Texas heartbeat abortion law will save thousands of lives and is a vital step on the road to abolishing all abortions in Texas, said Texas Right to Life after Gov. Greg Abbott signed the measure into law.
AP Photo/Eric Gay
Governor Greg Abbott signed into law a fetal heartbeat law on Wednesday that includes an interesting twist or two. The bill bans abortion the moment a fetal heartbeat is detected. This can be as early as six weeks and often before many women even realize they are pregnant. The new law is set to go into effect on September 1. Legal challenges are all but guaranteed.
The new law is either landmark legislation in protecting the lives of the unborn or it is draconian in nature and offers the most extreme restrictions in the country, depending on your thoughts on abortion. There is a provision in the law that allows private citizens to file civil lawsuits against abortion providers as well as those who “aid or abet” the procedure in violation of the ban. There are exceptions in the new law – only for medical emergencies. Pregnancies that resulted from cases of rape or incest are not deemed as exceptions. And, “One amendment prevents a person who impregnated an
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Texas governor signs abortion bill banning procedure as early as six weeks into pregnancy Timothy Bella
Replay Video UP NEXT Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Wednesday signed legislation banning abortions in the state as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, a measure slammed by critics as one of the strictest and most extreme measures in the nation and hailed by antiabortion supporters as a landmark achievement. The Texas bill known as S.B. 8, described as a “heartbeat ban” abortion measure, prohibits the procedure the moment a fetal heartbeat has been detected. By banning abortion after the six-week mark, many women in Texas who are not even aware they are pregnant will not be allowed to get the procedure done in the state. The bill, which goes into effect Sept. 1, does not include exceptions for women impregnated as a result of rape or incest, but offers a provision for medical emergencies.
By banning abortion after the six-week mark, many women in Texas who are not even aware they are pregnant will not be allowed to get the procedure done in the state.