| Austin American-Statesman
Opponents of abortion are trying to take increasingly extreme measures to prevent Texans from gaining access to abortion, which is apparently encouraged by a more conservative Supreme Court. Most recently, Lubbock has joined dozens of other cities in Texas in enacting local ordinances banning abortion and declaring their city a “haven for the unborn.”
Now the Texas House of Representatives voted for the adoption Senate Act 8 – One of dozens of anti-abortion laws passed this term. This bill bans abortion for 6 weeks before many people know they are pregnant and is widely used rejected by doctors. The Lubbock Ordinance and SB 8 also allow almost anyone to sue someone who performs an abortion or who “supports and facilitates” an abortion by driving someone to an appointment or helping to cover costs.
Attempts to block access to abortion will only add further strain to the already fragile reproductive health system in Texas. We must stop restricting access to health care and instead ask policy makers to focus on improving the health of all Texans.
It took nearly 10 years to restore reproductive health services in Texas after anti-abortion state politicians decimated the network of family planning providers by cutting family planning funds to eliminate planned parenting, and then passed a restrictive abortion law that closed half of the facilities providing abortion services.
At the Texas Policy Evaluation Project, we found that many of these family planning and abortion guidelines have negatively impacted people’s ability to receive high quality comprehensive reproductive health care. For example, Lubbock residents in need of abortion care have had to more than drive 200 miles a way to get to the nearest abortion site. Many had to travel out of the state for services.
Birth control services that help people prevent unplanned pregnancies have also been difficult to access in many Texas communities because of the remaining publicly funded providers didn’t have the capacity To serve customers. This deciphering of the reproductive health safety net came along with a growing number of regional hospital closures, leaving a large uninsured population of Texans with few options for care.
Anti-abortion city ordinances and bills only distract from those ongoing health care challenges – challenges that disproportionately affect black and other color communities that have the worst indicators for Maternal healthand that has become even more acute during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Proponents of anti-abortion legislation claim that it reflects the community’s moral opposition to abortion and commitment to life, but that belief is inconsistent with the values of many Texans. Our team’s research has shown that the majority of Texas voters disagree that the government should prevent women from having an abortion even if they did not make that decision for themselves.
As long as Roe v Wade protects the right to abortion, the people of Texas can legally get abortion assistance even in “protected cities”. It is also almost certain that these unconstitutional measures will face costly legal challenges. The time and financial resources required to defend these laws in court could better be used in creating fairer health systems and coverage for Texans.
If Roe v Wade is overturned and Texas bans abortion – even if most Texans are still against it (12% something, 42% strong) Completely ban abortion – this will not stop people from terminating their pregnancy. They can delay care because they have to travel out of state for services, and some people unable to receive clinic-based care will try to terminate their pregnancy on their own, which can lead to prosecution and incarceration.
Others will be forced to continue their pregnancy. People denied abortions are more likely to stay in and have relationships with violent partners poorer economically and health outcomes for yourself and your children.
Anti-abortion ordinances and bills are not going to make Texas cities and towns “havens” for anyone. Only measures that support the health and economic well-being of the families living there will do so.
White is Associate Professor at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work and Senior Investigator for the Texas Policy Evaluation Project at the University of Texas. Vohra-Gupta is an assistant professor at the school.
