The Texas Anti-abortion Law Will Have Damaging Economic Effects
Update: Sept. 2: Forbes reported a poll by PerryUndem, which shows that 66% or 2/3 of college educated workers would not take a job in a state that prohibits abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. “Half of respondents would consider moving out of a state that passed such restrictions.” Even more, 80% said that they did not want Roe v. Wade overturned. 73% of women would not even apply for a job in such a state, and 58% of men said that the abortion ban would discourage them, and 53% would not apply for a job there. This poll of the college educated is much more definite than the general population polls which favor Roe v. Wade by 59% to 69%.
The new Texas anti-abortion law rewards anyone who successfully sues anyone who aids a woman getting an abortion. Since all of the Texas abortion clinics are now closed, any Texas woman would have to travel to another state or country to get a safe medical abortion. In 2017, there were 55,440 abortions in Texas. 85%-90% of abortions occur after six weeks, and would now be illegal in Texas if there is a heartbeat. I have seen estimates that range from 15% to 50% of started pregnancies are naturally terminated, showing that even nature with the best medical care cannot guarantee that every pregnancy yields a healthy baby.
In the US in 2018, 85% of all abortions were to unmarried women. They are the least capable of being earners and taking care of pre-school children financially and both at the same time. Many of these women and their children will become financial burdens on welfare, and the women will not be allowed to develop their education and careers to become economic assets. They also will not be able to delay raising children until they are married and successful. Married women only account for 4% of abortions. Young women age 15-19 make up 9% of abortions. We see that abortions are financially necessary, and abolishing abortions is highly punishing to women in our society, and especially to the children themselves. In 2017, there were 862,320 abortions in the US, which was 18% of pregnancies. The Texas law, by itself, may not actually prevent abortions, just punish the women who will have to lose financially to get abortions outside of Texas. The Supreme Court’s refusal to block the law which is a severe hindrance to the nearly 50 year old right of abortion guaranteed by Roe v. Wade shows no respect for the law itself.
Abortions are often not covered under normal health care, and can cost $1,500. Trips to other states for abortions can add several days off of work, and another $1,000 in costs. Several states surrounding Texas also have abortion interfering laws. Texas, at 30 million population, is the second largest state, and its abortions would overwhelm the capabilities of the nearby states. That means the added costs of airplane flights to states further away. If the Texas law stands in force, other nearby states may also pass laws prohibiting abortions after a heartbeat is detected, generally around six weeks. These lengthy absences will disrupt Texas businesses and schools. Strike one Texas.
Texas has long tried to recruit businesses with its lack of income taxes, and low business taxes. It has regressive sales taxes. Businesses will find it hard to recruit women or families from other states. Not only will no more businesses come to Texas, but Texas will rapidly lose its national businesses. Strike two, Texas.
Out of Texas’ 30 million population, there are 7 million women of childbearing age. They are being denied their fundamental rights guaranteed under Roe V. Wade. Well over 95% of women use contraceptives for planned parenthood at some time. The Coronavirus virtual employment as well as paucity of those seeking work have made the ability to move for jobs much easier than ever before. Women of childbearing age and their families will find it much easier to abandon the Lone Star State. Especially families planning or having school age children already want to flee in order to live in a state allowing the safety of masking and vaccination requirements. Strike three, Texas.
You have Struck Out Again.
Past President and Governor of Texas George W. Bush used to like the motto: “Don’t Mess with Texas”. Texas has always impressed us as the “Don’t Tread on Me” and “Freedom or Death” state. Governor Greg Abbott has been adamant on not questioning people about their vaccination status, meaning no mandates on vaccinations or even masking in schools. Therefore, it is shocking and hypocritical that the Republican Legislature and Abbot himself are essentially deputizing any private citizen and making them into bounty hunters and vigilantes to find anybody seeking out an abortion, or aiding and abetting any such person. They will be rewarded by $10,000 for successfully spying and winning a suit in such cases. By the way, the State Motto of Texas is “Friendship”.
My legal advisor, Sean Silverman, has advised me that the Texas law, SB8, avoids many basic elements of the legal system. “It gives individuals a private right of action, which was declared in federal Courts an unconstitutional use of Congressional authority in the Transunion case. Additionally, it ignores traditional notions of standing, jurisdiction, and reasonable access to Court.”
Perhaps the Supreme Court chose not to intervene in the law, since they knew that it would be a flunking essay in any Prelaw 1A course.
