Written by Joaquin Cruz (News Writer)
Almost a week ago on March 22nd, Texas Governor Greg Abbott had declared that any “medically unnecessary” procedures during the pandemic, specifically being a note towards abortion, would be halted until further notice, and for time being the order is set to expire by April 21st. It was also stated that if any medical worker was found to have been providing abortion care to someone, they could be fined up to 1,000 dollars and/or even face up to 180 days jail time. About a day later Attorney General Ken Paxton had said that the order would apply to abortion except in certain cases in which the baby has become a threat to the life of the mother. Not only has Texas been a state to declare this but also Ohio, Mississippi, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Alabama. The leading state of this (Texas) has stated that the ban on abortion, for the time being, will be able to open hospital beds and will be able to free certain equipment that has been under major demand from thousands of hospitals including things like face masks, gloves, and gowns. However, looking at the statistics of the number of abortions performed in a hospital starting in 2017, only 87 of over 52,000 abortions had been performed in a hospital, making the ban seem very unnecessary. With the stop on abortion in the states named, this becomes an issue for those who do not want to have a baby or those that can’t, and this can be for many reasons, those who aren’t ready financially, those who have had horrible a past relating to incest and rape, or just don’t want the baby. With these major issues in mind, it didn’t take long for federal judges to take legal action in Texas, Ohio, and Alabama. Federal judges temporarily blocked the bans coming from Texas, Ohio, and Alabama on March 30, but less than 24 hours later the 5th circuit court of appeals issued a temporary stay on the ruling in Texas, which would allow the abortion ban to be able to go back into effect. Planned Parenthood was also a concern for those trying to make abortions stop during this pandemic. Planned Parenthood is an organization that provides very easy accessible health care as well as vital needs. The organization also provides STD testing as well as treatment, birth control, well-woman exams, cancer screening and prevention, abortion, hormone therapy, infertility services, and general health care. The organization, as well as the center of reproductive rights, had sued the state over the order asking the judge for an emergency stay. In response to that, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas Judge Lee Yeakel had given the reproductive rights groups a temporary restraining order in order to prevent the ban from going into effect. The new ban has led to 89 percent of the counties from the selected states to be left without an abortion provider as well as a ban on tax dollars from funding abortion. In response to the issue, Nancy Northup, the president and chief executive officer of the Center for Reproductive Rights had said, “Once again, Texas women cannot access abortion—with the important exception of those close to the legal limit- The court is unjustifiably forcing women to wait until the eleventh hour to get the time-sensitive, essential healthcare that they are constitutionally guaranteed.”
The Claw 