We're Not Gonna' Take It!
in case you didn't know, the Feminist Army was out in full force yesterday to combat HB60. My friend, who took off of work to be heard and was there for eleven hours, was one of two hundred and forty-seven voices that were silenced (illegally) by Rep. Cook. Here is her testimony. Please share it with the world.
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Texas House Hearing Statement
First, I would like to thank the chair and the committee for allowing me to testify. My name is Jennifer ________, and I am a constituent of Representative Paul Workman. I am here today to voice my opposition to the anti-abortion bills, HB16 and HB60.
I realize that you may have already decided how you will vote on these bills. Nevertheless, I respectfully ask that you give me your attention and consider these points. First, if you enact these bills, you alienate a growing number of your constituents, including me. I am a registered voter who participates in every election, and I will vote against any candidate who is in favor of restricting women’s access to abortion. These anti-abortion bills are being presented in the guise of “protecting women’s health.” This is insulting to women’s intelligence. Women realize that these bills will not protect their health; they will only reduce their access to abortion providers and limit their ability to make their own medical and family planning decisions. Women and their like-minded partners will continue to be an increasing part of your constituency. Do you really want to alienate them?
Second, if you enact these anti-choice bills, you risk reducing the talent pool for Texas jobs. Women are a greater portion of the professional job candidates than ever before, and they now outnumber males in college enrollment. Let me ask you: What young, strong-minded, independent woman with multiple lucrative job opportunities would want to move to or remain in a state where she has little or no ability to make decisions about her own body and about family planning? How will this affect Texas’s ability to create and fill jobs? As you know, job creation has a point of pride for the governor and his supporters.
Third, in order to keep its citizens healthy and productive, and to attract more industry, Texas needs to have an adequate number of healthcare providers. Increasingly, these providers are female. Women now make up nearly half of medical students, up from less than 25 percent in the 1970s. Females are also the majority of members in the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology. What female physician with a choice would want to practice in a state where the law severely limits her clinical judgment and her ability to do what she believes is right for her individual patients? How will this affect Texas’ ability to attract and maintain an adequate number of medical providers for its population?
Before you vote on this anti-abortion bill, I urge you to think carefully about its potential impact on Texas, not just now but in the future. You have been warned; if you enact these harmful anti-abortion bills, be prepared for a mass exodus of talent from Texas. Thank you for your time.