House committee approves new Texas abortion restrictions

By Associated Press,

Updated: Friday, June 21, 4:03 PM

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas took a major step toward enacting tough new abortion restrictions on Friday, after a lawmaker cut short an 11-hour attempt to stage a “citizen’s filibuster.” Hundreds of people were waiting to speak — the vast majority of them women opposed to the legislation — when House Affairs Chairman Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, said the witnesses had become repetitive and he would allow only two more hours of testimony. Normally each witness may testify for three minutes on a bill, and Cook’s decision to halt public participation was the first time a chairman had used that prerogative in recent memory.

At stake was a collection of measures to restrict when, where and how a woman may get an abortion in Texas. Cook’s committee approved all of the measures on a party-line vote without comment Friday afternoon.
The Republican-backed measures would ban abortions after 20 weeks; the current limit is 24 weeks. They would also require doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles, and only allow abortions in surgical facilities. Many private hospitals will not grant privileges to a doctor who performs abortions and most abortion clinics do not qualify as ambulatory surgical centers, a standard usually reserved for procedures that involve extensive surgery or general anesthesia.
Supporters say the bills would make abortions safer, but abortion-rights groups say they would lead to the shuttering of 37 of the state’s 42 abortion clinics, leaving facilities only in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin. The Texas Democratic Party, Planned Parenthood and Texas NARAL called on supporters to testify against the bills Thursday night in hopes of slowing them down ahead of a Tuesday deadline.When Cook finally called an end to the hearing at 3:35 a.m. Friday, more than 200 people remained on the witness list.“I’m ashamed at what I saw, because people traveled from all over the state, and there were people on both sides of the issue who came to speak about this, but they were shut down,” Rep. Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, said. “They’re playing political games with women’s health and it’s unacceptable.Republican-controlled legislatures in several states have passed similar measures, and many are tied up in courts.Republicans, including Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, said they welcomed the closures of abortion clinics as a result of the legislation.Democrats complained that the ban on abortion after 20 weeks does not include exceptions for rape, incest or the mental health of the mother. It does include provisions to protect a woman’s health and to allow the abortion of fetuses that cannot survive outside the womb.From KVUE.COM, by MARK WIGGINS:

New laws proposed under HB 60 would require abortion clinics to adhere to the same facilities guidelines as ambulatory surgical centers, require doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, and increase restrictions on how abortion pill regimen RU-486 is prescribed and administered.
The “fetal pain” bill, HB 16 would restrict abortions performed after 20 weeks of pregnancy, based on evidence that a fetus can respond to painful stimulus as early as 22 weeks. Medical science draws a distinction between a reflexive response and the ability to experience pain as a feeling, which is believed to develop several weeks later.
Thursday’s public hearing on the bills began just before 5:00 p.m., with hundreds already registered to testify. After emotional testimony continued into the midnight hour, committee chair Byron Cook (R-Corsicana) announced that public comment would be cut off before 1:00 a.m. Friday. That announcement resulted in an eruption of outrage, with Cook and other Republican committee members exiting the room as Department of Public Safety troopers swarmed in.
“We have the right to have our voice heard. He should not be able to shut us down like this,” Amanda Hernandez told KVUE Thursday night. “I came from Houston. People have come from Fort Worth, El Paso, the valley, and they’re not getting to give their testimony, and he has the nerve to say that we are getting repetitive? We are citizens. This is a democracy.”
Testimony was ultimately allowed to continue until well after 3:30 a.m. Friday, at which point the committee adjourned without taking a vote on either of the two bills. The committee reconvened shortly after 1:00 p.m. Friday to approve both bills, as well as Senate abortion omnibus SB 5, in a party line vote.
“We had a lot of a impassioned testimony, which is the public’s right,” said Cook, who spent most of the night graciously welcoming the long line of people anxious to speak their mind. “I think that is a good and healthy part of the process.”
“I’m just ashamed at what I saw,” Farrar told media Friday, growing emotional. “Sorry, because people traveled from all over the state, and no matter how you feel, there were people on both sides of the issue that came to speak about this, but they were shut down, just abruptly.”
Along with state Rep. Donna Howard (D-Austin), Farrar remained in the hearing room throughout the outbreak, reassuring those who had come to testify that more would be allowed to speak. After Friday’s vote, Farrar blasted other committee members who were largely absent for much of the previous night’s testimony.
“I’m so ashamed because the people that were on the dais weren’t even members of the committee,” said Farrar. “The members of the committee weren’t even present to hear all this compelling testimony.”
“I think members tend to be very thoughtful on these issues,” Cook responded to the criticism. Asked whether the overwhelming amount of testimony against the legislation was considered before the committee’s vote to move the bills forward, Cook answered, “I think the legislative body weighs very seriously people’s concerns.”
“It is a farce. It’s all about appealing to the far right of the Republican party. Everybody is trying to out right flank each other,” Farrar countered. “They’re playing political games with women’s health, and that’s just unacceptable.”
The full House is expected to take up the legislation on Sunday.

 

 

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