Following in the footsteps of Alabama, five other southern states have passed abortion laws, banning abortion at later trimesters. The newest of such states as Texas, which became the strictest state to ban abortion at the fetal heartbeat. Under this bill, private citizens can sue doctors and people who either give or undergo an abortion procedure.
This issue has raised a growing outcry from the left-wing. There is an ongoing debate over the legality of such bills given the landmark Supreme Court decision Roe v Wade, where the court ruled that the government could not take away a woman’s choice to have an abortion. The backlash to the conservative Texas Bill has also been magnified due to its shortened timeframe. Doctors are able to detect a heartbeat just 6 weeks into the pregnancy, which means that women may not even know they are pregnant. Since the average menstrual cycle is 4-6 weeks, some women may discover their pregnancy when it is too late to receive the abortion. Additionally, unlike other abortion bills, the Texas bill only provides exceptions when the mother’s life is at risk or there are dire health consequences. This implies that those who are pregnant as a result of rape or incest will have to endure their pregnancy.
Overall, Texas’ bill marks a daring stride towards anti-choice legislature in the country. This further widens the political strife between the left and the right, as we approach a national divide on this issue.
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