Name: Gov. Greg Abbott used pandemic as cover to ban abortions in Texas, former Planned Parenthood head says
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Gov. Greg Abbott used pandemic as cover to ban abortions in Texas, former Planned Parenthood head says

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Need to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? Our evening roundup will help you stay on top of the day's latest updates.Cecile Richards, a leading abortion rights activist, accused Gov. of using the coronavirus pandemic as a guise to end abortion access in Texas.The Texas native, who is a co-founder of women’s advocacy group Supermajority and the former president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, made the comment in an interview during that aired Wednesday."I love Texas, but that is an example of a state where they use, and the governor, use the pandemic — a global health care crisis — to try to end abortion access in the state,” Richards said in with Errin Haines, editor-at-large for The 19th*, a nonprofit newsroom that covers the intersection of gender, politics and policy.During the monthlong period when Texas was shut down, top state officials and the courts effectively . That kicked off .The came soon after Abbott postponed all medical procedures deemed “not medically necessary” while the state readied itself for an influx of patients with COVID-19. Attorney General the ban extended to abortions and the procedure could not be performed unless the mother's life was in danger. Abortion providers and members of the said the state’s near-total ban on abortion lacked ".”The offices of Abbott and Paxton did not immediately respond to requests for comment.The politically conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals largely sided with state officials throughout the legal back and forth. But while officials battled in court, Texans were forced to travel out of the state to access legal abortion, experts said.Abortion in late April when the halt on medical procedures was relaxed by a that took effect.Texas is among about a dozen states “that use the cloak of this enormous crisis to try to end access to abortion,” Richards said.In the initial weeks of the pandemic, a including Texas tried to ban abortions as part of emergency orders. The other states include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah.Meanwhile t state health officials walked back a plan to that would have affected women's health programs, including services that offer low-income Texans access to birth control and cancer screenings.Disclosure: Planned Parenthood has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them .Perhaps it goes without saying — but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. At a time when newsroom resources and revenue across the country are declining, The Texas Tribune remains committed to sustaining our : creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. Do you value our journalism? Show us with your support.Loading content …Loading content …

Need to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? Our evening roundup will help you stay on top of the day's latest updates.Cecile Richards, a leading abortion rights activist, accused Gov. of using the coronavirus pandemic as a guise to end abortion access in Texas.The Texas native, who is a co-founder of women’s advocacy group Supermajority and the former president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, made the comment in an interview during that aired Wednesday."I love Texas, but that is an example of a state where they use, and the governor, use the pandemic — a global health...

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Gov. Greg Abbott used pandemic as cover to ban abortions in Texas, former Planned Parenthood head says

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