'Texas will always defend the right to life': Six-week abortion ban law takes effect

On Sept. 1, a new law was passed in Texas that now makes accessing abortion difficult for women because it bans the process after six weeks into pregnancy. 

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to do anything about it even though many women aren't even aware of their pregnancy in the first six weeks.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a tweet, "No freedom is more precious than life itself. Starting today, every unborn child with a heartbeat will be protected from the ravages of abortion. Texas will always defend the right to life."

This ban is in line with a host of other bans related to abortion that the Republican governors enacted. They were called the "heartbeat" abortion bans because they prevented abortion from the moment a heartbeat was detected. This is part of Senate Bill 8 or the Texas Heartbeat Bill.

"This extreme Texas law blatantly violates the constitutional right established under Roe v. Wade and upheld as precedent for nearly half a century," said President Joe Biden on Sept. 1.

This Texas law will block 85% of the abortions in Texas, which means most women will be denied this procedure and, in some cases, even before they knew they were with child.

"Make no mistake, this law paves the way for anti-choice extremists to turn their dystopian vision into a horrifying reality – not just in Texas – but around the country," said NARAL Pro-Choice America Acting President Adrienne Kimmell.

And not only this, but the law will also allow private citizens to sue abortion providers or any person who has assisted a woman in getting an abortion. This includes everyone who has helped the woman financially or even given her a ride to the clinic.

Simultaneously, Texas Right to Life has even set up a whistleblower website so that anyone who wishes to submit an anonymous tip can do so. According to the law, anyone who reports incidents of abortion and sues an abortion provider will be rewarded with at least $10,000.