Texas Right to Life joined Texas Eagle Forum, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, and 58 state legislators, including House Bill 2 authors Representative Jodie Laubenberg and Senator Glenn Hegar, in filing an amicus curiae with the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the Pro-Life Omnibus Bill that passed the Legislature during the second special session.
Previously in court, Planned Parenthood has tested numerous undue burden arguments to see if these arguments will succeed. In contrast, the Pro-Life amicus brief asserts that adhering to practices and higher medical standards does not impose an undue burden on abortionists. Furthermore, the “friend of the court” brief dismantles all the other claims in the abortion plaintiff’s suit.
The Pro-Life brief emphasizes that abortion providers fail to secure any doctor-patient relationship for an abortion procedure. The women of Texas are treated as future transactional customers, rather than patients afforded good medical care. Unfortunately, Planned Parenthood masquerades as the voice of Texas women and as a legal third party voice in court.
In the filing of the brief, Pro-Life advocates stress that HB2 is fully constitutional and does not violate any requirements under the Roe v. Wade decision. Rather, under Planned Parenthood v. Casey, states are authorized to “enact regulations to further the health or safety of a woman seeking an abortion” as with any other medical procedure.
HB2, reasonable and prudent legislation enacted by the Texas legislature and supported by the majority of Texans, seeks to regulate an industry that cuts corners and hides information by requiring that this industry integrate itself — through its physicians admitting privileges — into the larger medical community. Texas has duly passed and enacted HB2 as a law that raises the health and safety standards for women and holds the abortion industry accountable to common medical practices they refuse to implement.
HB2 prioritizes the lives and safety of Texas women ahead of the financial bottom line of the abortion industry, something Planned Parenthood cannot claim as true.
Contact: Melissa Conway
713.782.5433/ 832.724.6634
MConway@TexasRightToLife.com
