The nightmare for Texas women is far from over and they’re even having to fight against someone who should be supporting them — a Democratic state senator named Eddie Lucio.
In the sweeping anti-abortion measures passed into law in July, women have come to realize that they are nothing more than second class citizens in the eyes of Texas Republicans. Even more distasteful is that the greener side of the fence of which they have come to rely for equal rights and reproductive health is now betraying that trust.
In spite of the much publicized abortion measures that were signed into law by Governor Rick Perry (R), state Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. (D-Brownsville) has re-introduced his own anti-abortion measure for the third special session announced by Perry last week. Lucio’s bill, which was originally introduced on the last day of the second special session, would require women seeking abortion to first complete a course on adoption as an alternative before getting abortion services from a doctor.
The bill, known as SB 42, prohibits any abortion from being performed without first getting a certificate showing completion of a three-hour course which promotes adoption as an alternative to abortion. Apparently, Eddie Lucio believes that women seeking abortion have not first thought of adoption before enduring an emotionally painful and uncomfortable personal experience such as abortion. Of course he doesn’t. That’s why men are supposed to be around to tell women about the smart options for their bodies that women do not consider.
Lucio, who is an extreme pro-lifer, has made no secret that his personal faith is a deciding force in his legislative decisions. An outspoken Roman Catholic, he has continually expressed his belief that there should be no separation between politics and faith in his decisions. Those beliefs recently gained attention during an exchange with Sen. Sylvia Garcia (D-Houston) when Lucio made the claim that Catholicism and the pro-choice movement were incompatible.
When asked to explain his comments, Eddie Lucio stated:
One of my colleagues said ‘I’m Catholic but I belong to a pro-choice group,’ and I said there’s no way you can be Catholic and be pro-choice. What I should have said is if you’re Catholic, based on the teachings, you should be pro-life. (Source)
Lucio has stuck with his “faith guided legislation” since he was first elected alongside another young Democrat, longtime friend and current Republican Governor Rick Perry. Perry joined the Republican Party in 1990 when he campaigned to become agricultural commissioner. Eddie Lucio was the only Democrat to stand onstage when Rick Perry signed the anti-abortion measures into law last month.
He also chides other Democrats that he claims treat him unfairly on the “fringe issue” of abortion. Lucio claims he wants to see the same consistency on issues of education and health care as a whole. If that is true at all, then he obviously never bothered to read HB 2 that passed and was signed into law last month.
SB 42, Eddie Lucio’s bill, is unusual in a number of ways that really do not make sense with current law. Here is a rundown of the ?inconsistencies:
- The bill requires that all women seeking abortion complete a three-hour course concerning adoption, either in a state approved classroom or online from their own home. Upon completion of the class, ‘students’ are awarded a certificate that will allow them to seek abortion services if they so chose. Essentially, women have to get a permission slip in order to seek out a doctor for abortion services. Who is regulating these ‘classes’ and certificates? Is there a fee for the class or certificate? Can the certificate be forged or faked if this is an online class that can be completed at home?? Anyway you look at the state functionality of this bill, there would have to be money coming in from somewhere in order to keep the program running. I doubt the state is willing to pay that cost, when they expect women carry a pregnancy to term at risk to their personal health.
- This bill makes the specific exception in cases of rape or incest of a minor, medical necessity, miscarriage, and preservation of an unborn child. However, the anti-abortion legislation signed into law last month, which supersedes this bill, makes no exception under any circumstances for those situations.
Eddie Lucio’s bill does nothing but further prevent a woman from attaining an abortion by requiring yet more restrictions on abortion services, not by offering an alternative.
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Review Category: Women’s Rights
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