Tonight, I weep for the women of my state. HB 2, a bill that will severely limit affordable access to places that handle our health issues, has passed, and will, in all likelihood, be quickly signed into law by Rick Perry, one of the worst governors the state has ever seen.
For those of you who are interested in the actual language of the bill, you can check out page 5 of this. And if you want to know who voted which way, and other information, check here.
This is a terrible, terrible bill, one that will shut down the majority of affordable women's health clinics in the state, ones that not only provide abortions, but also provide pap smears, breast cancer checks, birth control, STI testing, and a whole host of other things that are necessary for the health and well-being of anyone with a female reproductive system.
It's also worth noting that the bill states that all clinics providing abortions have to be ambulatory surgical centers, and Rick Perry's sister just so happens to be the head of a company that owns several of that type of clinic, putting her in a perfect place to swoop in and take over in the abortion business, becoming the leading provider, and pricing anyone in a lower income bracket out of being able to easily obtain one when they need it.
I would suggest that, if you are as outraged and saddened by this travesty; and you live in Texas, you register to vote, remember this bill, and those who authored it and voted it in; when the time comes, vote accordingly. It could make all the difference in the world to your fellow Texans.
