Wendy Davis is on the right side of history.
No, she's not.
I'm going to cut and paste the thoughts of a conservative friend who articulated my thoughts on this situation better than I ever could.
"SB 5 essentially had 3 elements designed to regulate abortions and abortion clinics in Texas. I think points 2 and 3 are particularly important.
1. SB 5 ends abortions after 20 weeks except in cases where the health of the mother is in jeopardy. Every poll I have ever seen has shown that the vast majority of Americans, even Americans on the left, feel that abortions in the third trimester should only be performed if the mother's health is in serious jeopardy. The third trimester starts at around 28 weeks. SB 5's author's reasoning for the 20 week restriction is due to studies that show that an unborn child has the ability to both feel and avoid pain at 20 weeks. But if the left doesn't care about the child's pain and thinks that 28 weeks should be the standard, why not argue that? Why demonize this bill as some affront to women's rights rather than just saying, "Change it to 28 weeks and we'll talk?"
2. SB 5 requires that the label of RU-486 (the abortion drug) actually be followed.
For those that don't know, here is what the label says:
"Because it is important to have access to appropriate medical care if an emergency develops, the treatment procedure is contraindicated if a patient does not have adequate access to medical facilities equipped to provide emergency treatment of incomplete abortion, blood transfusions, and emergency resuscitation during the period from the first visit until discharged by the administering physician.
Mifeprex also should not be used by any patient who may be unable to understand the effects of the treatment procedure or to comply with its regimen. Patients should be instructed to review the Medication Guide and the PATIENT AGREEMENT provided with Mifeprex carefully and should be given a copy of the product label for their review. Patients should discuss their understanding of these materials with their health care providers, and retain the Medication Guide for later reference (see PRECAUTIONS)."
"Mifeprex is available only in single dose packaging. Administration must be under the supervision of a qualified physician (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION)."
SB 5 writes these requirements into law.
3. SB 5 requires that abortion clinics meet the standards set for ambulatory surgical centers. 6 abortion clinics in Texas meet these standards currently. 38 do not. 38. Let me repeat that in yet another way: thirty-eight. The press says that all 38 are going to be shut down. I would argue that many of them would try to come up to standard so they could keep making money hand over fist. If enough do not come up to that standard, new clinics will open up that do meet that standard so that THEY can make money hand over fist.
Abortion clinics perform medical procedures that can be risky. Are we seriously arguing that requiring a medical clinic to live up to basic medical standards is a bad thing? Seriously? We want to protect women's rights but feel no need to protect their lives. Wonderful. So if someone I love ever decides to have an abortion in Texas and doesn't know where to go to get one, she has only a 14% chance of landing at a clinic that meets basic medical standards and this is good because it is protecting her womanly rights?
I'm going to quote the author of this bill who sounds much more reasonable than I am at the moment.
'Moving abortion clinics under the guidelines for ambulatory surgical centers will provide Texas women choosing abortion the highest standard of health care. Texas allows no other procedure to opt out of the accepted standard of care.'"
I have said it before and I'll say it again: abortion should be safe, legal, and rare. Safe and legal are not false opposites.
Wendy Davis, sadly, got it wrong.
