And in other news from Texas . . .

[ex-khobar Andy]

Hot on the heels of the Texas abortion law, fueled in no small part by the religious right (you know, the same guys who worried told us that Biden would ban Christmas) we have the state telling an about-to-be-executed felon that he does not have the right to have his pastor pray over him at the time of his final exit.

It's worth the few minutes it will take you to read the Atlantic piece. I have no love for cop killers or the black clad (do they still do that?) bearer's of God's message (part of my childhood was spent reading the Don Camillo stories, in which the Italian village priest usually got the better of the communist mayor, although they cooperated to get the best for their common flock) but I have no problem with a criminal seeking redemption if that is what he believes. He may even be exaggerating his religious beliefs for his own benefit but I doubt that this is an unknown phenomenon in Texas.

[BoSoxGal]

Also in other news from Texas that I saw in today’s headlines:

September 22, 2021

Governor Abbott Signed Yet Another Restrictive Texas Abortion Ban Into Law

This one specifically targets medication abortion.

Earlier this month, a restrictive Texas abortion law went into effect that essentially bans abortions after six weeks. Now, Governor Greg Abbott just signed another state abortion law—one that bans the use of medication abortion after seven weeks, Forbes reports.

The new law, SB 4, heavily restricts the use and distribution of abortion pills and will go into effect on December 2, barring any legal interference. For starters, SB 4 makes it illegal for a health care provider to prescribe abortion pills to a pregnant person after 49 days of pregnancy (seven weeks), which is less than the 70 days (10 weeks) the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows.

On top of that, the new legislation also makes it illegal to provide patients with abortion pills by mail, delivery service, or courier. In order to receive a medication abortion in Texas within the legal timeframe, patients must now undergo an in-person examination and extensive informed consent process—even while in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What's commonly known as the abortion pill is actually two medications: First, there's mifepristone (also called Mifeprex or RU-486). This medication begins the termination process. Then, a day or two later comes misoprostol, which helps the uterus push the pregnancy out.

These medications are used to safely end pregnancies before 10 weeks. Research suggests they're safe to use even when prescribed via telemedicine. They do come with the risk for some side effects, such as cramps, bleeding, and nausea, and in rare cases (about 0.3%) they can lead to excessive bleeding or other issues that require hospitalization. But they're generally considered quite safe medications.

Despite its safety profile, mifepristone is regulated by a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) from the FDA, which prohibits pharmacies from dispensing the medication. The medication can only be prescribed by certain health care providers and can only be given to patients in clinics, hospitals, or doctor's offices under the supervision of a health care provider. Some states also require the doctor to be physically in the room with the patient while they take mifepristone, the Guttmacher Institute explains.

During the pandemic, though, an FDA investigation did not find any increase in medication abortion-related complications when it decided not to enforce the requirement for an in-person visit to access the medications. So the new Texas medication abortion ban is yet another law that restricts access to safe, necessary health care. And even for those who can still access medication abortion in Texas, the legislation will add unnecessary barriers that make doing so even harder in the middle of an ongoing pandemic.