The new Texas abortion law has sent shockwaves across the country, including Berkeley where an emergency meeting was held Monday night.
Those organizing the meeting at Revolution Books in Berkeley say women need to act after Texas banned abortions once cardiac activity can be detected.
“The silence following this law has been deafening,” Reiko Redmonde said. “There haven’t been the millions in the streets.”
Organizers also say they want people to know what the Texas law means.
“Even in a case of rape, even in a case of incest a teenager has no right to terminate her pregnancy in Texas,” Redmonde said.
The law also allows citizens to sue anyone who helps someone get an abortion after cardiac activity is detected.
Some say the law will chip away at Roe v. Wade. University of San Francisco Professor James Taylor disagrees.
“This is not a chipping away at Roe v. Wade,” he said. “This is a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade because of the time period it erases.”
On Meet the Press, former Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock, who is opposed to abortion, said she doesn’t like what Texas is doing.
“This is a flawed bill that I expect because these similar bills have been blocked before and I think fairly quickly this will be,” she said. “I think neither side is going to be pleased with where the court may come down.”
Other states are passing similar laws, but Attorney General Merrick Garland is pushing back.
In a statement, he said, “The Justice Department is looking into all options to challenge Texas SB-8 to protect women and their constitutional rights.”
The group in Berkeley believes everyone needs to pay attention.
“It’s not just the abortion that’s under attack,” Sierra Rios said. “It’s also whether or not a woman has a right to birth control.”
Source: NBC Bay Area
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