Texas House Passes Abortion-Restricting HB 2

Today, the Texas House passed HB 2, the Omnibus Pro-Life Bill, with a vote of 96-49.

State Representative, Charles Perry (R- Lubbock), has been a strong supporter of the legislation, "Today the Texas House passed landmark legislation which increases the quality of care to women and protects the life of the unborn, both measures I fully support. This bill will ensure Texas women seeking an abortion have a credentialed physician to perform the necessary procedure in facilities which will now have to meet ambulatory surgical center standards. This bill also protects the unborn by prohibiting abortions after 5 months, which a majority of Texans support. If the mother choses to have an abortion, she still has that right, as long as it is within the first 5 months. As elected officials it is our responsibility to protect the innocent and give a voice to those who cannot yet speak for themselves."

Governor Rick Perry was pleased with the passage of HB 2 this morning, “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. 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.”

The bill now moves on to the Texas Senate. In the previous Special Session, the same legislation was defeated by a filibuster by Senator Wendy Davis.