Texas Eagle Forum
State Legislative Alert (April 25, 1999)
by Cathie Adams, president, cathieadams@texaseagle.org
IN THIS ISSUE:

Contact your State Legislator

Capitol switchboard: 512-463-4630

Legislator’s e-mail:

    House member: firstname.lastname@house.state.tx.us
    Senate member: firstname.lastname@senate.state.tx.us

You can obtain the full text of the bills at http://www.capitol.state.tx.us

PARENTAL NOTIFICATION FOR ABORTION, SB 30/HB 623
Out of more than 68,000 abortions each year in the state of Texas, approximately 5500 are performed on minor girls. It is estimated that between 25 to 39% of those girls do not notify their parents. This means that parental notification bills could affect about 1500 abortions per year. Saving even one life makes our time and efforts on this issue valuable.

A public hearing was held April 19th on State Rep. Delisi’s HB 623, companion bill to Senator Shapiro’s SB 30, which would require that one parent be notified before the surgical procedure of abortion could be performed on a minor girl. Currently, there are 90 co-sponsors on this bill. Other pro-life bills were heard as well, and all of them were left pending in the State Affairs Committee.

I attended the public hearing in Austin which began about 4 PM and ended at 4 AM. I would like to share with you some of the things I saw and heard, as well as, tell you about some of the main actors in the Texas House.

The State Affairs Committee Chairman is Steven Wolens, D-Dallas.
House State Affairs Committee:
steven.wolens@house.state.tx.us512-463-0746
sylvester.turner@house.state.tx.us512-463-0554
leo.alvarado@house.state.tx.us512-463-0616
kevin.bailey@house.state.tx.us512-463-0924
kenneth.brimer@house.state.tx.us512-463-0632
david.counts@house.state.tx.us512-463-0480
tom.craddick@house.state.tx.us512-463-0500
paul.hilbert@house.state.tx.us512-463-0572
bob.hunter@house.state.tx.us512-463-0718
delwin.jones@house.state.tx.us512-463-0542
john.longoria@house.state.tx.us512-463-0618
ken.marchant@house.state.tx.us512-463-0468
brian.mccall@house.state.tx.us512-463-0594
tommy.merritt@house.state.tx.us512-463-0750


Rep. Delisi introduced HB 623 to the committee, then was interrogated for more than two hours. One of her witnesses, Texas Attorney General John Cornyn, spent more than an hour before the committee undergoing the same type of questioning while defending the bill’s constitutionality. Committee members Reps. Marchant, Brimer and Turner asked helpful questions, while others openly expressed their opposition or said nothing at all.

Rep. Danburg asked the most stinging questions. Pointing out that Rep. Delisi holds rape and incest exceptions for abortion, as does Gov. Bush, Danburg said she wondered why Delisi filed the bill. Danburg implied that since two-thirds of the young girls were impregnated by older, legally accountable men, they were raped. She concluded that Rep. Delisi should support the young girls’ “right” to abortion. Danburg also asked why HB 623 was being promoted as a parental rights bill, since parents could not waive the 48-hour waiting period. She repeatedly questioned the bill’s constitutionality.

Rep. Counts questioned privacy issues in counties with small populations since girls might seek to bypass their parents through a judge and the process would publicly expose her pregnancy. Several questioned whether judges are adequately trained for such cases.

Rep. Merritt repeatedly requested a clergy bypass, but Rep. Wolens questioned its constitutionality because of religious issues.

Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, offered a different pro-life bill that would allow for a bypass from JPs with no waiting period.

Rep. Longoria laid out a bill that would declare that life begins at fertilization.

Rep. Ray Allen, R-Grand Prairie, presented HB 682 that would protect unborn children from assault. At 3 AM, a young couple testified that their pre-born son was killed as a result of a car accident, but the driver was not faulted. The child’s father was a firefighter and emergency medical technician, and reported that oftentimes when men attack pregnant women, they beat them in the abdomen to abuse the pre-born child. He concluded his testimony saying that if he crossed a fence and hurt a pregnant cow, he would be liable for both the cow and the calf. Texas law, however, does not protect pre-born humans.

An Ob-gyn from Dallas’ Parkland Hospital testified against HB 623, but he said if it passes, he wants it to include more bypasses. Rep. Marchant asked him what other surgical procedures were performed on minors without parental “consent”. (Remember, this bill only requires notification of one parent; it does not require consent by even one parent.) The doctor responded that no other medical procedures are performed without parental “consent”. Rep. Wolens asked him why the Texas Medical Association was quiet about the bill’s criminal penalties for physicians that fail to notify a minor’s parents. A physician from Austin opposed the bill and especially the 48-hour wait.

An attorney from Massachusetts spoke against HB 623 calling parental notification requirements “cruel at worst and naïve at best”. She advocated more bypasses, especially a counselor bypass. Rep. Brimer asked about the cost of paying for the counselors, as HB 623 directs the state to pay for the judicial bypass. Rep. Marchant asked a witness who advocated a counselor’s bypass if she would want that responsibility. Shocking many, Rep. Wolens proclaimed that as an attorney he would NOT want that responsibility.

A New York attorney opposed the bills employing arguments used by the infamous Planned Parenthood to destroy pro-life legislation in other states. The American Civil Liberties Union and National Organization of Women stayed to the bitter end of the hearing to testify against the bills. These opponents disregard the lifelong guilt that haunts a mother who kills her child by abortion. Many testifiers, perhaps attempting to justify their guilt, demanded that ALL abortions should be legal.

As the hearing concluded, Rep. Delisi and Rep. Patricia Gray, D-Galveston, the author of the phony parental notification bill (HB 5), agreed to work together to “come up with a good bill”. House Bill 5 does not have a 48-hour wait requirement and it adds more bypasses which waters the bill down to the point where it is ineffective.

As we await a re-written bill, pro-lifers need to reassess our goals. Our ultimate goal is to honor God in the battle for the right to life. We must be willing to stay in the battle, recognizing that the pro-abortion side is relentless.

And our calling is higher than to pass laws that can save physical lives, it is caring about where our friends and opponents will spend eternity. As unlovely as those who support abortion as a “right” are to pro-lifers, we must remember that we all need a Savior. God says through the Psalmist in 51:5, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” Babies and grown-ups alike need a Savior.

The legislative session ends on May 31st. May God direct our steps as we speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, the babies, while remembering our higher calling.

Hate Crimes Legislation, HB 938, Vote in the House on Monday, April 26th
TRUE STORY
Initiation into a Hispanic gang required raping a “white girl” at high noon. My friend’s daughter, a white girl, was raped by a Hispanic boy. This proposed legislation would NOT increase the penalty for that gang member, nor would it grant the victim any new protection. This proposed law would create a lopsided penalty system. If the victim is a “minority”, then the penalty would be increased. If the victim is NOT a “minority”, there would be NO increase in penalty or protection.

House Bill 938, a “hate crimes” bill, is on the House General State Calendar for Monday, April 26, 1999.

Ask Your Representative to VOTE NO on HB 938.

This bill attempts to control thoughts and actions through legislation. Of course, we oppose hate because it is WRONG, but we recognize that a law cannot prevent hate.

House Bill 938 creates a list of victims based on “race, color, disability, religion, national origin or ancestry, or sexual orientation.” The new law would increase the penalty for crimes against these groups creating “politically correct” sentencing. And it would amend the Government Code in order to provide training in “hate crimes” for policemen every 48 months.

Call your State Representative on Monday through the Switchboard: 512-463-4630
Or e-mail your State Representative: first.last@house.state.tx.us

Legislative Advertising, Texas Eagle Forum, Cathie Adams, P.O. Box 795354, Dallas, TX 75379.

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