Earlier this year, Lone Star State legislators passed and Governor Gregg Abbott (R) signed into law a measure to ban abortions when a preborn baby's heart can be detected, which is usually around six or eight weeks, though the child's heart has already been beating since about 22 days post-fertilization.
Although abortion activists, providers, and supporters have filed a lawsuit against the measure, the National Abortion Federation is already telling the state's abortion mills it will stop funding and referring patients who have passed the six-week mark for abortions.
"This shows me that the abortion industry is scared," responds Kimberlyn Schwartz of Texas Right to Life. "They are terrified of the Texas Heartbeat Act. The first time they are faced with this law, they had to throw up a lawsuit, because that's what they do. But their arguments are extremely weak and desperate," Schwartz adds.
The case will be heard August 30th, just about 10 days after a federal court sided with a Texas law banning dismemberment abortions. A decision may be rendered quickly.
"If an abortionist commits an abortion in Texas on September 1st, we can still go back and sue that abortionist, hold that abortionist accountable for killing that preborn baby on September 1st,” Schwartz adds, noting another reason the abortion organization is taking the action it has announced.
The heartbeat law allows citizens to file a lawsuit against an abortionist who violates the law, so some abortionists are planning to refer women to terminate the lives of their babies in other states. Others are reportedly planning to stop performing abortions altogether.
An estimated 54,000 abortions took place in Texas in 2020.
