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How Dead Does a Woman Have to Be?
The abortion war in Texas heats up
Sorry, but I have to drag you back to the medieval state known as Texas where things have gone from … normally, I would say from bad to worse, but they’ve already done that, so I guess the best way to describe the situation is that things have gone from worse to “Are you fucking kidding me?”
The last time we visited Texas, it was because they had appointed a doctor who believed that 9-year-old victims of rape and incest can and should give birth, to a board studying maternal death rates.
Now it’s the Texas Supreme Court’s turn to wade into the fray. 20 women brought a case that said they were denied medically necessary abortions and almost died as a result. Under Texas law, the only exception to the abortion ban is if the mother’s life is in danger.
But here’s the rub. The law says that any doctor who violates the law could face 99 years in prison, a $100,000 fine, and the loss of their medical license. So, doctors are very, very hesitant to perform even life-saving abortions for fear of jail time, fines, and the loss of their medical licenses.
They are faced with decisions like …
Is it safe to perform an abortion if a pregnant woman comes to the emergency room and could possibly die if she doesn’t get…
