On Wednesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a “heartbeat ban” which would bar most abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected - sometimes occurring in pregnancies as early as six weeks. This comes days after the Supreme Court decided to hear a Mississippi abortion case that prohibits abortions after 15 weeks. These measures challenge the landmark decision of Roe v. Wade which protects a person’s choice to have an abortion without excessive government restriction.
This new provision is particularly concerning because of its private civil enforcement, which encourages citizens to sue anyone whom they believe violated the law in return for a $10,000 compensation. Although abortion is still legal, many states have enacted so many restrictions that safe and affordable abortions are often inaccessible. More and more, an individual’s liberty to govern their body falls in the hands of a conservative court.
Abortion is a personal decision not a legal battle.
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