Republican Governor of Texas Greg Abbott signed a bill on Wednesday that would almost immediately make abortions illegal if Roe v. Wade is overturned. The governor signed House Bill 1280 into law shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court decided to hear a case about a Mississippi abortion law that has grave implications on pro-choice legislations and abortion access. A decision is set to be made next year and the Texas House Bill 1280 is a preventive measure that would take effect 30 days after the court's ruling.
"A favorable ruling would make Texas one of the first states to end abortions," Texas House Bill 1280 author state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione took to Twitter to share, as per the Texas Tribune.
Doctors who would violate the trigger bill will be charged with $100,000 in fines, have their licenses revoked, or even face life in prison if they continue to perform abortions under the ban. The bill does not allow exceptions for women who are at risk of suicide or self-harm and those whose pregnancies were a result of rape or incest. The trigger bill also does not allow any exceptions for "severe or potentially lethal fetal abnormalities." The only exception is when a woman faces death or "substantial impairment of major bodily function" if the abortion is not performed.
In May, Gov. Abbott signed the heartbeat bill, a legislation that criminalizes abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected and is set to go into effect on September 1 this year. Fetal heartbeats can be detected as early as the sixth week of pregnancy, which some pro-choice advocates argue is too early as most women are not even aware of their pregnancy at six weeks, USA Today reported.
According to MSN, Gov. Abbott signed the latest in his slew of anti-abortion bills on the very same day that President Joe Biden signed a new legislation that made Juneteenth, the 19th of June, an official federal holiday celebrating the emancipation of African American slaves in the country. The Republican governor has been taking major strides to preserve conservative values in the state, signing into law on Tuesday a bill that bans public schools from teaching critical race theory.
Dallas News reported that not only did Gov. Abbott sign a law that is described as "strong move to abolish critical race theory in Texas," but the governor said that "more must be done," which is why he ordered a special session during which critical race theory will be discussed. A $15 million annual increase in spending is expected to come with the passing of this bill, as it "requires additional civics training for teachers."
The governor also signed up to seven bills on gun laws, including the House Bill 1927, which allows Texans 21 years old and above to carry guns even without licensing and training requirements, KSAT reported. On Wednesday, the governor shared on Twitter that he passed a law that "prohibits any government agency or public official from issuing an order that closes places of worship."
Gov. Abbott declared, "The First Amendment right to freedom of religion shall never be infringed."
