Abortion

The Texas House on Thursday passed Senate Bill 33, which aims to prevent local governments from using tax money to support people who leave the state to find abortion care. The bill will need final approval from the state Senate before heading to Gov. Abbott’s desk.

Senate Bill 31 comes after reporting found that confusion surrounding Texas’ abortion ban had resulted in the deaths of at least two women. After receiving final approval from the Texas House on Thursday, the bill now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott.

The statue would depict a mother holding an unborn child, funded by private donations.

In an appeal filed this week, Maria Rojas’ attorneys accused Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office of a careless investigation.

A bill that would apply the same penalties for abortion in Texas as homicide was removed from a committee schedule on Tuesday, likely ending any chance of the proposal passing this legislative session.

Abortion is legal in Texas only when the life of the mother or a “major bodily function” is at risk. Doctors, who could face prison time for performing an abortion, have been seeking clarification on the exception.

Maria Margarita Rojas, known as “Dr. Maria,” faces hundreds of thousands in fines if she is convicted.

The case is set to test states' conflicting abortion laws, a battle that could rise to the U.S. Supreme Court.

A new poll from University of Houston researchers shows that 83% of Texans supported the exceptions to the state's abortion ban, along with an exception for lethal fetal diagnoses.

Amanda Zurawski, who nearly died after being denied an abortion, has been fighting to clarify the medical exception to Texas law for years. For the first time, Republicans might be willing to take up the issue.