Suffer the Children--New target for anti-abortion Lege
Jane's parents ran an East Dallas meth ring. The dangerous environment and prospect of being sold into sex work by her negligent parents prompted 16-year-old Jane, who soon became pregnant, to escape and find refuge at her boyfriend's house. Shuffled from high school to high school (and in and out of Child Protective Services), Jane managed to earn strong grades and hoped to go to college – and knew she wasn't ready to be a parent. Without dependable parents of her own, she turned to a legal process known as "judicial bypass" – an order from a judge, without parental involvement – to permit an abortion and enable an independent future.
Abandonment, neglect, death, or domestic violence underlie many of the roughly 200 annual Texas judicial bypass cases, and Jane's experience represents about a third of those accepted by Jane's Due Process, an organization that assists minor girls in acquiring a judicial bypass. "So, mom's dead, dad's in prison – legally no one can consent to her abortion. Maybe she never knew her parents, or they are abusive and she faces a threat," said Susan Hays, legal director of Jane's Due Process. "The point of bypass is to make sure she's safe."
Nevertheless, anti-abortion Texas lawmakers are determined to chip away at this safety net for minors. Having largely dismantled the health care system for women through sustained attacks on reproductive rights, anti-choice Republicans have found a new, especially vulnerable target.
Last week, House Bill 3994 by Rep. Geanie Morrison, R-Victoria, secured final House approval following nearly four hours of floor debate. The omnibus legislation – a wish list for anti-choice activists hoping to eradicate abortion – was made even more restrictive with the addition of a late-hour amendment from Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth. And having cleared a vote by the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services on Tuesday, the bill, sponsored in the upper chamber by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, moves to the full Senate as of press time.
Read more: http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2015-05-22/suffer-the-children/
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