Texas House votes to defend life! Important protections pass

The Texas House has approved a powerful pro-life law that will end the killing of unborn children after 20 weeks in the womb. While the law isn't an outright ban, it is a definite incremental improvement. Anti-life advocates vow to challenge the bill.

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AUSTIN, TX (Catholic Online) - The bill passed the House by a wide margin of 96-49 after a final hour of debate. Politicians had plenty of time to consider the bill in the weeks prior as it made national headlines.

The bill is expected to pass in the senate and will almost certainly be signed by the supportive governor, Rick Perry.

"The tremendous outpouring of support for this legislation has demonstrated how Texas stands for life, and I commend everyone who wore blue, turned out and spoke up in support of life in our state," Gov. Rick Perry said in a statement. "Now is not the time to waver, however, as the Senate continues its important work in support of women's health and protecting the lives of our most vulnerable Texans."

Anti-life demonstrators frequently disrupted previous proceedings on the bill and during today's historic vote, one woman stood and shouted, "I am a woman of color. I object to these proceedings." The woman was not identified to the media and she was removed from the chamber.

As a woman, and a person of color, any objection she should rightfully have is that the law stops short of banning a barbaric practice that was originally promoted to destroy the lives of African American children and today takes the lives of tens of thousands of female victims every year in Texas.

Still, the bill is an improvement on current law.

Women who seek abortions will also enjoy greater protections for their life and health. The law builds safeguards that ensure these invasive procedures are only performed at ambulatory surgical centers. The law also protects women who choose to consume abortifacient chemical pills, and asks doctors to have hospital privileges within 30 miles of their offices where such procedures occur.

Despite the doublespeak that is commonly used by anti-life proponents, Republicans and other pro-life advocates are not seeking to destroy freedom, but to create it. Each new life brought into the world is born into freedom. Conversely, the anti-life camp encourages women to habitually consume chemicals and undergo invasive surgical procedures , and that such dependency equates to freedom.

Instead, freedom is best exercised before the deed that may create life, and every abortion destroys at least one life. Count the bodies, and you will know by the fruits of each, which is right.

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