Commentary: Below is a statement issued by the following members of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus: Chairman José Rodríguez, Vice Chairman Sen. Rodney Ellis, Sen. Sylvia Garcia, Sen. José Menendez, Sen. Kirk Watson, and Sen. John Whitmire regarding SCOTUS' decision to grant certiorari on the case challenging the constitutionality of House Bill 2:
For more than forty years, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that women have a constitutional right to privacy in their reproductive choices, and that this right includes the right to end a pregnancy without undue interference from the government.
Despite this fact, those in control of Texas have repeatedly attacked this constitutionally-protected right by enacting medically unnecessary restrictions that impose ridiculous obstacles for women seeking an abortion. H.B. 2 has some of the most egregious restrictions in the nation, which have closed down almost half of the abortion clinics in our state and could leave Texas will fewer than 10.
“We applaud the Supreme Court's decision to hear a challenge to H.B. 2. We’ve known since its introduction in the Texas Legislature that H.B. 2 poses an undue burden on women seeking an abortion, and that’s why we prevented this bill from reaching the floor in the 83rd regular session. Against all odds, we prevented its passage in the first special session of 2013 by a heroic 13-hour filibuster from our courageous colleague Senator Wendy Davis. We’re relieved to see that the Supreme Court has agreed to consider a challenge to the constitutionality of this corrosive law and believe they will see what we have seen since the beginning and strike down this bill. The testimony from health care professionals was clear; there is no medical benefit from the provisions of this law, which serve only to restrict women from exercising their constitutional right to make personal health care decisions. Texas women deserve their constitutionally-protected privacy and health care like every other American.”