Republican state Rep. Tony Tinderholt introduced the legislation. He first introduced the bill in 2017, which is why you might have heard of him. That, or his notable five marriages. With apparently zero self-reflection, he argues that the measure is important because it will make women “more personally responsible” when it comes to sex.
He also said his goal in this legislation is to guarantee “equal protection” for “life inside the womb.” The measure suggests that an embryo—yes, an embryo—has the same rights as a human child.
“I think it’s important to remember that if a drunk driver kills a pregnant woman, they get charged twice. If you murder a pregnant woman, you get charged twice. So I’m not specifically criminalizing women. What I’m doing is equalizing the law,” said the extremely right-wing representative.
In this bill, there are no exceptions for incest, rape, or danger to the pregnant person’s life.
The measure didn’t get a hearing in 2017, and expired in the Texas House State Affairs Committee. But it’s advancing now. And while it’s pretty inarguably illegal, and a violation of the constitutional rights upheld in Roe v. Wade, it doesn’t make it any less terrifying.