The morning of Jan. 21 was a notable day for everyone. UTD students officially started their first day of the spring semester, energizing the previously empty campus, and the new Donald Trump administration officially took power. This transition has brought forth several cutbacks, particularly the shut down of the federal government’s reproductive rights website. The website going offline signals a new era of abortion law in the U.S., where states have the power to decide more unilaterally on such restrictions, leaving residents of conservative states like Texas at an even higher risk of losing their few remaining reproductive rights.
In 2022, the Department of Health and Human Services launched reproductiverights.gov to provide the American public with information on reproductive health care, abortion and birth control access and health insurance coverage. This information has become crucial after the overturning of Roe v. Wade (1973). After public confusion and concern after the website became inaccessible Jan. 21, Trump responded that abortion decisions should be left to the states and if a bill regarding a nationwide abortion ban makes it to his office, he will veto it.
Letting the states themselves decide on the status of abortion access is a disastrous idea because it would allow the conservative states to enact harsher restrictions compared to their liberal counterparts. Furthermore, granting the states such power can also lead to states punishing individuals who are seeking abortions in another state or country. For example, in November 2024, Texas lawmakers introduced a legislation called the Women and Child Safety Act that would ban internet service providers from providing access to websites with abortion information. The most recent news regarding this bill is that it has been officially introduced in the Texas House in 2023. If Texas succeeds in passing this bill, women in Texas won’t even be able to find information to get the procedure done outside the state borders, leading to more women opting for riskier procedures that could damage their health and wellness.
The bill itself is difficult to understand because section 230 draws a fine line between those who create the “illegal” content and those who are facilitating third-party communication regarding the content. For example, an individual will not be targeted for sharing allegedly illegal content on social media but will be targeted for creating and posting that content on their page. It seems that section 230 is a nonspecific attack on free speech regarding abortions; the section will likely lead to decreased communication and information sharing regarding reproductive health care. For a country that brags about its freedom of speech and self-expression, it is hypocritical, if not tyrannical, for the government to seek control over women’s reproductive rights. As a woman in Texas, the thought that I could be punished for even googling information pertaining to my reproductive system is frightening.
The Texas 89th Spring Legislative Session started Jan. 14 and will end June 2. This session provides lawmakers with the opportunity to address key issues affecting Texas residents. Anyone concerned about their rights should engage with their representatives, attend public hearings hosted by the legislative committees and testify on the proposed bills and stay informed by tracking bills and session notes through the Texas Legislature Online website.
There are several advocacy-based student organizations on campus such as Texas Rising, Young Democratic Socialists of America, Planned Parenthood Generation, HerCampus, Jolt Action, Students for Justice in Palestine and League of United Latin American Citizens that are focusing on these issues and planning ways to meet state lawmakers to present their perspective on the restrictive legislations. Furthermore, there are national and statewide organizations that provide support for reproductive health care such as the National Network of Abortion Funds, Plan C and the National Abortion Federation. We as Texans need to voice our opinion on reproductive rights in a state jurisdiction to establish a precedent that reinforces the power of the people in shaping state policies.