The Texas legislative session is officially over and it will be remembered as the "War on Women" — when political games trumped common sense and good public health policy. State legislators passed several bills that will hurt Texas women and their families.
Here's a summary of what happened:
Family Planning Program Gutted: In an effort to target Planned Parenthood, extremist lawmakers gutted the state’s family planning program — slashing family planning funding by 66%. According to the state’s own research, this will result in 300,000 Texas women losing access to basic care and 20,000 more unplanned births per year, costing Texas taxpayers $231 million.
Sonogram Bill Passed: Women will be required to have a sonogram at least 24 hours prior to an abortion and to listen to a description of fetal development, whether they want to or not. There are very narrow exceptions — for the majority of women in Texas, abortion will now become a 2-trip process. The Center for Reproductive Rights has filed a lawsuit to overturn the law.
‘Choose Life’ License Plates Created: “Choose Life” license plates will soon be available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting unregulated crisis pregnancy centers — in addition to the $7.3 million diverted to them from family planning funds. These centers are known to use false information to scare women who are considering abortion.
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