At NoHLA, we have worked for over two decades to ensure access to all health care, including reproductive care. While Washington has some of the strongest laws protecting reproductive access in the country, we are alarmed at the restrictions facing residents of Texas seeking abortions in the wake of the US Supreme Court’s recent decision to allow SB 8 to take effect, eliminating virtually all abortion access in the second largest state.
In banning the procedure as early as 6 weeks with no exemptions for rape or incest, Texas joins 11 other states in prohibiting abortion before most people know they are pregnant. More alarmingly, SB 8 also allows private citizens to sue doctors, nurses, and anyone who helps people access the procedure — such as a family member or ride-share driver who provides a ride — for $10,000 each, potentially burdening the legal system. While the law is now in effect due to the Supreme Court’s refusal to intervene, the US Department of Justice and clinics are now seeking injunctions to stop it.
The reality is that abortion was already challenging to access in Texas: previously enacted laws require counseling designed to discourage the decision, a 24 hour waiting period, medically unnecessary ultrasounds, and more. The average drive time to obtain an abortion is 248 miles — or 3.5 hours one way at 70 mph. These obstacles are all much more burdensome for the working poor: someone making minimum wage ($7.25 an hour in Texas) would have to work a full day just to cover the gas for one round trip. These laws and similar ones in other states highlight the exigent need for Congress to pass the Women’s Health Protection act to make abortion access a meaningful reality for everyone. Since Texas bans people from using their own insurance to pay for the procedure, the cost can be prohibitive.
Those in Texas are asking for people across the US to demonstrate support of bodily autonomy and join a march near you on October 2 or give directly to abortion funds which help offset costs for a safe and legal abortion for someone who couldn’t otherwise afford it.