Texas State Senator Proposes Paying Women to Not Have Abortions
The Senator Rejects Criticism that His Proposal is "baby Selling"
The proposal was made by Republican State Senator Dan Patrick, who is also a conservative radio talk show host. He said the money might persuade some women to give their babies up for adoption rather than seek an abortion.
During a legislative conference in New Brussels, Senator Patrick noted there are 75,000 abortions every year in Texas. He noted that if his incentive would cause 5 percent of those women seeking abortions every year, or 3,000 women, that that many lives would be saved.
"We want the lady to have an incentive that makes her stop and think about having an abortion and that gives her reason to put her baby up for adoption," Patrick said in an interview published in the San Antonio News.
Senator Patrick's Senate Bill 1567 was referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee Wednesday. A committee hearing has not yet been scheduled for the bill. There are not yet any co-sponsors for the bill in the Texas Senate or House.
Senator Patrick said by paying as many women as possible not to have abortions, he wants to save as many babies as possible. Senator Patrick also has a bill to ban abortion if the United States Supreme Court over reverses its landmark Roe versus Wade ruling in 1973 that legalized abortion.
Critics have said Senator Patrick's bill to pay women not to have abortions does not recognize the complex issues involved when a woman must decide to place her baby for adoption. They have also said his bill comes close to baby selling.
The executive director of one pro-life group supported the goal of supporting adoption but still expressed caution.
Joe Pojman, executive director of Texas Alliance for Life, said he wants to be sure there "isn't even the perception of baby-buying."
A representative of a group that supports abortion said the proposed bill is terrible.
Fran Hagerty, of the Women's Health and Family Planning Association of Texas said the bill is "the stuff family nightmares are made of." She called the proposed bill "insulting" to both women and "great charitable organizations" that find adoptive parents and take care of birth mothers.
According to the article on the San Antonio newspaper website, it is a crime in Texas to give something of value to acquire a child for the purposes of adoption. There are exceptions in the law, however, for pregnancy-related expenses that benefit the mother.
Senator Patrick, however, said his proposal to pay women to not have abortions would not be baby selling. He called the provisions of the proposed law "an incentive" to put a baby up for adoption. He said the baby would then go through the normal adoptive process. He said no one would be "buying a baby."
The proposal would pay a woman the $500 within 30 days of the time she gave the baby up for adoption rather than having an abortion.
Published by Mike White
Newspaper correspondent for almost three years. Freelance writer with hundreds of articles on the Internet and published in magazines and newspapers, View profile
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4 Comments
Post a CommentI just received an FRC Alert this week stating in 2005 that Planned Parenthood received $272 million in our taxes, plus whatever they made from their profits of killing industry. Now there is a push for more money to be funded - $100 million. I would love to take the money out of Planned Parenthood's hands and offer the incentive to women to make an adoption plan. If some of these women decide not to place for adoption and to parent this child - so be it. A life has been saved. However, many women going through with their pregnancy will realize the beauty of life and how wonderful it is. God Bless all the birthmothers who made the loving sacrifice to make an adoption plan! You may feel your empty arms hard to endure at times, but giving your child life and placing that child into a couple's home is a postive outcome for all. There are many adoption plans to choose from where even the birthmother can still keep in contact to find out what's going on with the child. The Bible say
(no offence intended here) but I wonder if Fran Hagerty, of the Women's Health and Family Planning Association of Texas has ever seen an abortion, honestly, its a sick, brutal, vicous thing far worse than the 'nightmare' this bill would ever conceviably cause (or any nightmare or horror movie for that matter). how could this bill be a 'nightmare', how is it 'insulting' what does that even mean!!??? unfettered abortion supporters,for their own good, just need to take a minute out of their time and get online, check out some pictures of an abortion, read some testimonies, get a bit more educated on the HUMAN facts surrounding the whole controversy. stop looking at women and these situations as statistics "oh, the socio-economic reprocussions of an un-wanted pregnancy, blah blah blah..." get off your self-righteous trip and come back down to earth, these are REAL people and situations. if theres another way for a desperate person or couple, another option, (like ADOPTION)I'm sure some w
Thank you for your comments Donna and Jon. This was a news story, so I could not share my opinions in the story. In my comments, however, I agree much more with you Donna.
I regret my abortion over 20 years ago. All the pressure and excuses from my boyfriend to have the abortion overwhelmed. Unfortunately, I was too ashamed to tell my parents. How I wish I did. How I wish that I had someone come alongside me and say, "You can do this! With or without your boyfriend's support." I support Senator Patrick's incentive to save innocent lives by offering a mother an incentive to make an adoption plan. Abortion takes a life and wounds the mother emotionally, spiritually and physically. Sometimes these women abort the only baby they will ever conceive. This little $500 incentive - will give a child an opportunity at life! It will also save the mother from the negative emotional and physical experience of abortion. It may even save her own life! Think about it, America! Life is a Gift from God!