This Texas Lawmaker Wants To Put Women In Jail For Having Abortions

Last year, Texas considered enforcing a law that requires the cremation or burial of fetal remains, adding further to the stigma of getting an abortion. Now, the state may outlaw abortion altogether, and even put women in jail to hold them "responsible." Texas state Rep. Tony Tinderholt has introduced the Abolition of Abortion in Texas Act, which would criminalize abortion and, as Tinderholt put it to the Texas Observer, make women "personally responsible" for having sex. The bill, introduced earlier this month, would abolish all abortions, even those that result from rape or incest. It would also allow for women who have them — and their doctors — to face charges as serious as murder. "Right now, it's real easy," Tinderholt told the Texas Observer. "Right now, they don't make it important to be personally responsible because they know that they have a backup of 'oh, I can just go get an abortion.'" "That is so ignorant to think ... that women are somehow irresponsibly deciding that they're going to go ahead and get pregnant because it's so easy to get an abortion," state Rep. Donna Howard told the Observer. "... It's just baffling to me that he could have that lack of compassion and understanding for fellow Texans." Not to mention, the bill is unconstitutional. The bill tells state officials to "ignore and refuse to enforce" any conflicting federal law — such as Roe v. Wade, which would make the bill illegal. While it remains to be seen whether or not the bill will be passed, it's yet another piece of proposed legislation that would further restrict people's reproductive rights.