5/29/2011
A national abortion rights group on Friday said that is in the process of preparing a legal challenge to the new abortion sonogram law in Texas, which has just been signed by Gov. Rick Perry.
During a legislative session that created one of the most restrictive provisions on abortion in the United States, the battle has also spilled into women’s health care, and in the process endangering millions of dollars reserved for cancer examinations and contraceptive services.
Now, even the hospitals are in danger of losing public funding.
An amendment that was added Thursday to a Medicaid bill by the state House has raised alarms because it would halt public health care funding for clinics or hospitals that provide “abortion-related services.”
The term used is so broad that even those opposing abortion rights are worried that it could have a number of unintended implications.
Republican state Rep. John Zerwas, a physician who sponsored the bill, admitted that the term ‘abortion-related’ is problematic. He said that the state law does not provide a definition of the term, which means that it is open to a broad interpretation.
Despite this, the Republican-controlled House affixed the amendment of freshman GOP Rep. Jim Landtroop to the proposed measure, which is now at the state Senate for consideration.
