8/30/2021
by JULIET SCHULMAN-HALL
The state of Texas is currently a COVID-19 hotspot: The number of Texans under 50 being admitted to hospitals is larger than at any point during the pandemic; the number of available ICU beds has reached a new low; and the state has resorted to bringing 8,100 new health care workers in from other states to alleviate pressure on Texas hospital workers who say they’re “at a breaking point.” But Texas lawmakers seem more focused on a different public health catastrophe: banning abortion.
On August 10, the Texas Senate passed S.B. 4—authored by anti-abortion Democrat Eddie Lucio and supported by Gov. Greg Abbott—which bans medication abortion after seven weeks. While telemedicine abortion has been available for years, its current accessibility is particularly important as a highly contagious pandemic surges through the state—since it’s proven to be a safe, effective and popular way to procure an abortion. S.B. 4 awaits a vote in the Texas House before it becomes law.
Continued: https://msmagazine.com/2021/08/30/texas-abortion-bans-youth-abortion-fund-buckle-bunnies/