Megan Udinski, FISM News
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) sued the state of Texas over the newly passed Heartbeat Bill claiming the new law is “unconstitutional.”
On September 1, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed SB8, also known as the Heartbeat Bill, into law. Immediately, the bill was under siege by abortion lobbyists, specifically Planned Parenthood. President Biden released a statement slamming the legislation and detailing his administration’s support for the “constitutional right” established under Roe v. Wade. He also proclaimed that he would do everything in his power to fight against SB8, and tasked the DOJ to look into what could be done.
Coincidentally, the DOJ filed the lawsuit immediately after Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled to decriminalize abortions, in a landmark case for the country. The White House received immense backlash from the liberal media who asserted that America’s Latin American neighbors were becoming a more “progressive” nation.
One of the biggest complaints those on the left have raised about the law is the ability of private citizens to take legal action against those who perform an abortion or aid in the process. If convicted, those citizens could receive up to $10,000 in compensatory pay. As a result, many abortion clinics in Texas have since shut their doors.
For pro-choice advocates, these forced closures have been met with outrage, but for pro-life advocates the saving of one life in the womb is seen as a reason for celebration. Renae Eze, a spokesperson for Gov. Abbott commented, “The most precious freedom is life itself.”
The actions of the Texas government has inspired other states’ leaders to pursue anti-abortion laws as well. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis commented, “What they did in Texas was interesting…They’ve basically done this through private right of action, so it’s a little bit different than how a lot of these debates have gone — so we’ll have to look, I’m going to look more significantly at it.”
In addition, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem released an executive order on Tuesday to restrict telemedicine abortions. Mark Miller, her top legal advisor was directed to comb through South Dakota abortion laws and find ways it could be tightened to mimic that of the Texas Heartbeat Bill.
Experts believe that the lawsuit will eventually make its way to the Supreme Court. Both camps will carefully view the progress of the lawsuit through the courts, as it will have huge ramifications on this important and divisive issue.