Tag Archives: abortion

Here come the threats to businesses

Posted on July 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The forced birth fanatics are just getting started. And it’s already ugly. A group of Texas state House lawmakers called the Texas Freedom Caucus sent a letter to a law firm in Dallas last week threatening “consequences” over the firm’s … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A seafaring abortion clinic?

Posted on July 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It could happen. A California doctor has a plan to launch a floating reproductive health clinic in the Gulf of Mexico, where care will be regulated by federal — not state — law. The plan — currently in the fundraising … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Brief abortion news roundup

Posted on July 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Too much news, etc etc etc. You know the drill. Houston crisis pregnancy centers, labeled ‘deceptive’ by experts, find new spotlight after Roe ruling. Since 2011, pregnant Houstonians seeking abortions at the Planned Parenthood clinic off the Gulf Freeway have … Continue reading →

Posted in National news, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A few words about the state of the Governor’s race

Posted on July 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

There are many factors. A school shooting in Uvalde that left 19 children and two teachers dead. The end of a nearly 50-year-old constitutional right to an abortion. A history-making spring in Texas is laying the groundwork for a contentious … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A few words about the state of the Governor’s race

Whole Woman’s Health moving to New Mexico

Posted on July 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Sad, but inevitable. One of the nation’s largest independent abortion provider said Wednesday that it is pulling out of Texas and opening a clinic in New Mexico to support Texans and others facing limited abortion access after the Supreme Court … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Whole Woman’s Health moving to New Mexico

UT/Texas Politics Project poll: Abbott 45, Beto 39

Posted on July 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

One more pre-Dobbs result to consider. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s lead over Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke narrowed to 6 points last month, according to a poll conducted by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. That’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2021 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on UT/Texas Politics Project poll: Abbott 45, Beto 39

CBS/YouGov: Abbott 49, Beto 41

Posted on July 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Kinda meh, but with some caveats. As the race for governor tightens, a new CBS News poll shows Gov. Greg Abbott regaining support against Democratic candidate and former congressman Beto O’Rourke. The matchup between Abbott and O’Rourke is the marquee … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Commissioners Court takes some action on access to contraception

Posted on July 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From last week: Harris County leaders on Tuesday passed a trio of items in support of women’s access to abortion and contraception in the wake of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. The most significant of the three … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Commissioners Court takes some action on access to contraception

SCOTx re-enables statewide abortion ban

Posted on July 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. The Texas Supreme Court has blocked a lower court order that had allowed clinics in the state to continue performing abortions even after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned it’s landmark 1973 ruling that confirmed a constitutional right to abortion. … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How are Texas businesses going to react to the forthcoming criminalization of abortion?

Posted on July 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s too soon to say. Certainly too soon for most of them to say. In overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court presented corporate America with a question that may prove uncomfortable for big companies headquartered in states such as … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Beto will work to repeal Texas’ abortion ban

Posted on June 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

He can’t succeed, not at this time and not in the near future, but aim big and make it clear what the stakes are. In the days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Democrats at rallies and protests … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Beto will work to repeal Texas’ abortion ban

Temporary restraining order granted to abortion clinics in trigger lawsuit

Posted on June 29, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Some abortions are temporarily legal in Texas again. Abortions up to about six weeks in pregnancy can resume at some clinics in Texas for now after a Harris County District Court judge granted a temporary restraining order that blocks an … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Lawsuit filed over Texas trigger law implementation

Posted on June 28, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

One last fight before the curtain comes down. Texas abortion providers are making a last-ditch effort to temporarily resume procedures by challenging a pre-Roe v. Wade abortion ban that has not been enforced for nearly a half-century, but that some … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

DAs are not going to be able to avoid enforcing anti-abortion laws

Posted on June 28, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I appreciate the sentiment, but that’s not how it works. Even before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday, local prosecutors in several of the largest Texas counties vowed not to file criminal charges in abortion-related cases, seemingly offering hope … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on DAs are not going to be able to avoid enforcing anti-abortion laws

Roe v Wade

Posted on June 25, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

You don’t need me to tell you what happened yesterday, or what is likely to come. Abortion is still technically legal for another 29 days in Texas, when the trigger law kicks in, but many clinics have already stopped providing … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More on how abortion bans will be enforced

Posted on June 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s all about the data. The Supreme Court is shortly expected to issue its decision on a challenge to Roe v. Wade that will—if a leaked draft version of the opinion holds—end federal protection for abortion access across the US. If that … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

There’s only so much that Austin (or any other Texas city) can do to protect abortion rights

Posted on June 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I appreciate this, I really do, but it’s important to remember that it can only ever be a band-aid, and very likely a temporary one. The city of Austin is attempting to shield its residents from prosecution under a Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Republicans threaten businesses over abortion access

Posted on May 24, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

If you didn’t see stuff like this coming, you haven’t been paying attention. With Texas poised to automatically ban abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, some Republicans are already setting their sights on the next target … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Republicans threaten businesses over abortion access

The coming fight over medical abortion

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Sure is a good thing SCOTUS will leave this up to the states, isn’t it? Republican-led states are moving swiftly to restrict access to medication abortion. The efforts so far have focused on regulations around the pills, such as banning … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The coming fight over medical abortion

How will abortion bans be enforced?

Posted on May 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The good news is that anti-abortion zealots don’t yet know how they’re going to force women to give birth. The bad news is we cannot count on that to continue to be true. It took next to zero effort for … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on How will abortion bans be enforced?

2022 Kinder Houston Area Survey

Posted on May 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of optimism in here. Dr. Stephen Klineberg’s final survey of the Houston area leaves him with hope. Yes, residents are concerned about the economy and crime, and their mental health has not improved even as the COVID-19 pandemic has … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 2022 Kinder Houston Area Survey

On the importance of the Democratic AG runoff

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We have two good choices in this race. Whoever wins, we need to fully support them in November. Rochelle Garza locked hands with her mother and marched through Dallas at a reproductive rights rally this month to let voters know … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

DMN/UT-Tyler: Abbott 46, Beto 39

Posted on May 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the story, which I currently can’t access. A very brief summary of it is in this Current article. The data is here and I’m going to riff on that, with references to the February version of this poll, for … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Republicans are not going to stop passing anti-abortion bills

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s what they do. There is no finish line for them. During their 20 years in control of the Texas Legislature, Republican lawmakers have steadfastly worked to chip away at abortion access. Bound by the limits of Roe v. Wade, … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How will the evisceration of abortion rights affect the election in Texas?

Posted on May 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know. You don’t know. Nobody knows. Less than two hours after Politico reported Monday evening that the U.S. Supreme Court appeared ready to overturn Roe v. Wade, Beto O’Rourke leaped into action. “It’s never been more urgent to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Abbott sees another opportunity to hurt children

Posted on May 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

He is definitely making this a habit. Gov. Greg Abbott wants to “resurrect” a court challenge over a 1975 Texas law withholding state funds from school districts for kids who were not “legally admitted” into the United States. That law … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Abbott sees another opportunity to hurt children

The polling data on abortion in Texas

Posted on May 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From the Trib: At a time when Texas is poised to outlaw the vast majority of abortions if the nation’s highest court overturns constitutional protections for the procedure, a recent University of Texas at Austin poll shows most Texan voters … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , | 20 Comments

I’m just going to say this one thing about the pending evisceration of abortion rights

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Chris Tomlinson gets at the issue but doesn’t take it all the way. The Supreme Court’s apparent decision to allow state lawmakers to make women’s health care choices puts chief executives in a tough spot, forcing them to choose between their employees’ rights … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Providers’ federal lawsuit against SB8 is officially buried

Posted on May 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From last week. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ended a legal challenge to Texas’ nearly total ban on abortion brought by providers across the state, closing out a contentious court battle that reached the U.S. Supreme … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Wendy Davis sues over SB8

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Former Texas State Sen. Wendy Davis, best known for her 13-hour filibuster of a 2013 abortion bill, has filed a federal lawsuit challenging Texas’ recent abortion law. The suit claims the law is “blatantly unconstitutional” and written to “make … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How the reproductive rights groups reacted to the Lizelle Herrera arrest

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Respect. Deep, abiding respect. Cathy Torres was ready to log off for the weekend and start celebrating her 26th birthday when she got a text message with a link to a local news story: A woman in the Rio Grande … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How the reproductive rights groups reacted to the Lizelle Herrera arrest

More on Lizelle Herrera

Posted on April 13, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Listen to the advocates. They’re seeing this clearly. A 26-year-old woman was arrested and jailed in South Texas last week over a self-induced abortion just months after the state banned most abortions and weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court could … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More on Lizelle Herrera

The “self-induced abortion” saga

Posted on April 11, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This was quite the journey. Starr County District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez said Sunday he has filed a motion to dismiss a murder charge against a woman for performing a “self-induced abortion.” Ramirez said the Starr County Sheriff’s Department “did … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Abortion funds accuse Briscoe Cain of defamation

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be fun. Earlier this month, Republican Texas House lawmaker Briscoe Cain sent Texas abortion funds cease-and-desist letters, threatening the funds, their donors and volunteers with criminal prosecution unless they stopped helping fund abortions in Texas. Now, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment