Discussing S.B.8
I am sure I won't be the only one talking about this but I’m gonna do it anyway. Texas is currently the center of attention regarding the rights (or lack thereof) of people with uteruses.
Senate bill 8, or as it is more commonly referred to S.B.8, went into effect on wednesday September 1st, a day that will now be marked as the day Roe v. Wade lost all power, the day people realized that their rights are not even safe when they have been protected by the Supreme Court for almost the last 50 years (48 to be exact). Not only does SB8 lead to disastrous outcomes for anyone who needs an abortion for any reason other than a medical emergency but it could also have disastrous consequences for the future of other rights currently being protected by supreme court rulings. It could also lead to the spread of such a law to other states. Laws similar to SB8 had previously failed in 12 other states because of Roe v. Wade but now that one state has found a work around others will follow. Florida lawmakers have already said that they would pass a bill similar to SB8.
This bill hurts everyone and sets a frightening precedent for the future of equal rights in America but more importantly it specifically targets minorities. This bill will have the largest effect on people living under or near the poverty line, on people who can’t take time off work, or have to take care of family members. “We know this from experience. Those with means will be able to go somewhere else, and the majority will be forced into parenthood.” (Tolentino, The New Yorker)
“Fund Texas Choice, the organization that arranges and funds travel for abortions, has had the opposite experience: it typically receives ten to fifteen client requests each week, but took forty-two calls on September 2nd alone”(Tolentino, The New Yorker). The effects of the bill are already clearly visible. People affected by the law are understandably terrified and yet there are still other people pushing for even further punishment for getting an abortion.
S.B.8 is a terrifying example of the fact that we are actively going back on progress that was made. There is a constant fight against equal rights and to push back rights that had seemingly been secured. People will never let this go because why have equality when you already have power?
For some slightly better news to prove that not everything is currently a dumpster fire, the container company of the prolifewhistleblower.com reporting website is no longer supporting the site because it violates the terms and agreements of the company. In the terms and agreements it says that you can't collect or harvest personal information without the person's consent. Lyft and Uber have also promised to pay the legal fine for any of their drivers who take someone to get an abortion and has donated $1 million to Planned Parenthood.
There has been a temporary injunction brought to court by Planned Parenthood and approved so, from my understanding, the law is technically on hold until it is reviewed and determined to be in accordance with the Texas constitution.
Everything regarding this bill is actually fairly confusing and I would highly recommend looking at the sources I’ve linked below. I also hyper-linked the court document from the injunction hearing and if you only read one of the sources I would highly recommend that it be that one.
Sources:
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/sb-8-and-the-texas-preview-of-a-world-without-roe-v-wade
https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/13/politics/texas-sb8-planned-parenthood-right-to-life/index.html
http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2021/images/09/13/texas.order.pdf
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-abortion-law-whistleblower-website-snitching-shut-down-twice/
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