Two bills are making their way through the Texas Legislature right now that are ostensibly designed to offer doctors legal protection against prosecution under our state's near-blanket ban on abortion, in cases where that procedure is medically necessary - the same clarification that was sought, unsuccessfully, in the Zurawski v Texas case. The bills, according to their Republican backers, have achieved unanimous support in both the House and Senate - but there is no shortage of opposition among abortion rights groups and advocates, some of whom are concerned that the language in the bills may allow for expansion of prosecution of people who seek abortions out of state, and that in their attempt at clarity, may actually introduce additional confusion for doctors and patients. We've invited Austin State Rep. Donna Howard, one of the House version's authors, to explain why she supports the bill, and also to address some of the specific concerns that have been brought against it.

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