Houston, Texas (KTRK) – Houston city leaders have announced that they are lowering the priority of investigations into abortion.
Except in narrow cases, Texas law punishes those caught performing abortions with life imprisonment and huge wages.
“First of all, the City of Houston will not prioritize the use of resources to create any registry used against those who undergo an abortion, seek an abortion, or any other result of pregnancy,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “Assault, rape, domestic violence. These are the things that are critical, and this is where we need to direct our resources.”
Turner also announced an executive order, which promises to provide legal protection for medical professionals who fear treating complicated pregnancies.
“Physicians have to consult legal counsel before providing care to their patients, when they know what is the right thing to do, when they know the latest evidence-based medical answers are being put off, or they have to take second guesses,” said Dr. Laurie Choi, chair of the Care Subcommittee. Health Committee at the Houston Women’s Committee.“People might think not to exercise here in Houston, Texas.”
That’s exactly one year since Senate Act 8 went into effect, which essentially banned abortions after six weeks and allowed private citizens to sue those who help others perform abortions.
According to Planned Parenthood, from last September to June of this year, when most abortions were banned from the moment of conception, health centers in states surrounding Texas saw a 550% increase in patients from Texas.
SEE ALSO: Biden administration can’t force Texas hospitals to offer emergency abortions, judge rules
In June 2022, Planned Parenthood data showed that Texas patients traveled an average of more than 400 miles for abortion care. That’s more than four times the average distance Texas patients traveled to have abortions last June.
“It’s what it is,” Turner explained. “We can’t replace it, but we can certainly prioritize how resources are used in this city.”
Eyewitness News reached out to Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton for comment, but there was no response Thursday.
For more information on this story, follow Pooja Lodhia at FacebookAnd theTwitter And the Instagram.
Copyright © 2022 KTRK-TV. All rights reserved.
.
[ad_2]
