Texas Bill Would Ban Pro-Choice Websites

[In It to Win It]

https://jessica.substack.com/p/texas-bill-would-ban-pro-choice-websites

Anti-Abortion Strategy

Well, they’re back at it! Texas Rep. Steve Toth introduced a bill this week that would ban pro-choice websites. Under the “Women and Child Safety Act,” internet service providers would be forced to block any site that contains information about how to obtain abortions or abortion medication. That means the websites of pro-choice organizations and abortion funds would be banned—even Abortion, Every Day would be illegal under the bill.

The bill even includes a list of specific websites that would be banned in the state, including: Aid Access, Hey Jane, Plan C Pills, Just the Pill, and Carafem.

If passed, the law would allow citizens to bring civil suits against internet service providers that don’t block these websites. (Which is sort of Texas’ thing—they love to incentivize communities turning on each other over abortion.)

But it doesn’t end there: Toth’s legislation would charge anyone who raises money for abortion care with a felony—with a particular eye towards targeting abortion funds. In fact, the legislation prompts the state Attorney General to investigate and charge abortion funds using the RICO Act, which is meant to go after organized crime. (If you’ve read my book, you know all about this; Republicans are eager to go after ‘the helpers.’)

If all of this sounds familiar, it’s because Toth introduced a near-identical bill last year. And he’s not alone. Iowa Republicans also tried to pass legislation to ban pro-choice websites last year; their legislation would have also allowed citizens to sue internet service providers and prosecute abortion funds under the RICO Act.

[Skittles]

1. they can be open about their fascism now

FULL STEAM AHEAD

[MagickMuffin]

2. My beloved state continues to be abused by the UnAmericans

I clearly hate what is happening here in Texas. I’ve always been proud, but now I’m ashamed. I kinda feel like when Americans traveled abroad and were ashamed to admit they were Americans. I’m sensing perhaps this will be a new trend, no I’m not from Texas.

[msongs]

5. beloved indeed nt

[CTyankee]

8. I''m a 3rd generation Texan and would not set foot there again. My uncle proudly served in the state lege and his

daughters were both journalists who covered Austin in their reporting. I left to go East to college and never returned except for visits. Now I am old and have no family left. I feel terrible for the ordinary people, especially women, in Texas. I hope the women who can leave will, rather than be forced to live in a new Gilead.

[MagickMuffin]

15. 5th Generation here

I haven’t spoken to my family in years. We used to be a solid democratic family, however, I believe most are * supporters.


My sil sends out year end newsletters. My brother has always been a hunter which I don’t have an issue with, he eats what he kills. A couple years ago I received the letter and apparently he traveled to Argentina so he could kill a rare deer or some other animal, I felt sick reading it.


I’ve often wanted to move, but family and finances keep me here.

[CTyankee]

16. I'm calmer here. I know my friends and neighbors are (mostly) Dems.

My health would prevent me from ever living in a red state again. I have hypertension and this election was bad enough for it.

[not fooled]

9. Well, I'm trying to get some information from people in France

relating to a hobby activity that I want to try to have access to if I get a visa allowing me to emigrate there. No one is returning my inquiries. Geez, I wonder why. Apparently destabilizing the world order because dumbass ignorant voters elected a goon doesn't make us very popular over there.

Perhaps telling them I'm Canadian would increase the odds of getting replies. I'm ashamed of this country.

[Grins]

3. Suppose the post on X?

Think Elmo who claims he live “free speech” would ban them?

[struggle4progress]

4. Eh, fuggit. Just shut off all the state's electricity and end the phone service.

[pfitz59]

6. ALEC is at it again

cookie cutter bills

[cstanleytech]

7. 100% 1st Amendment violation.

[DFW]

10. Indeed, that should be a no-brainer

If our courts don't strike that one down (if it ever gets enacted), then our country as we knew it is over and done with.

[soandso]

11. Exactly

That bill won't go anywhere, no matter how many times that dipshit re-introduces it.

[moniss]

12. OK Abbott then don't be surprised or complain

when pro-choice states ban any and all web sites of Texas based companies, religious organizations , non-profit organizations, political organizations, educational institutions, etc. and no Texas athletic teams are allowed to compete in our states.

Furthermore since you like the whole book banning thing so much we'll purge our libraries and book stores of any books that reference Texas in a positive light. I would go a step further and say that maybe since these Texas MAGA clowns like to do stunts like hold book burnings then maybe we'll have a whole big media gathering while we put the torch to a huge pile of books that reference that sh*thole called the Alamo and all the BS lies you've told about it all these years. Enough of the phony swagger and cowboy costumes.

https://time.com/6072141/alamo-history-myths/

[Karasu]

13. I really have no idea how the GOP can so much as pretend they aren't fascists anymore.

Or how the fuck anyone can be stupid enough not to see it.

[markodochartaigh]

14. This is from Wikipedia,

"The Comstock Act does not criminalize obscenity, criminal incitement, or abortion directly but it criminalizes the use of the mail, a common carrier, or an interactive computer service in the conveyance of these materials."

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/politifact/2024/08/31/jd-vance-asked-doj-to-enforce-comstock-act-ban-mailing-abortion-pills/75017681007/

I'm not an attorney, but to me this seems very likely to happen. I would bet that internet porn will be next. I'm sure that people will be able to correct me and tell me how this would never be possible, how it could never happen here. If those people could also explain how the supreme court will never stop the counting of votes to pick a president, how the Senate majority leader would never refuse a hearing to a president's nominee for the supreme court, and how a case where a plaintiff makes up their case out of whole cloth would never be decided by the supreme court, if you could explain those to me as well, I would be grateful.

[ck4829]

17. Time to get GoFundMe banned in Texas then

[turbinetree]

18. Hey Texas do you want to ban what happened in November 1963............