Texas government officials attempt to pass bill 896, introduced April 9, 2019, to issue the death penalty for those who have abortions, saying “a living human child, from the moment of fertilization on fusion of a human spermatozoon with a human ovum, is entitled to the same rights, powers, and privileges as are secured or granted by the laws of this state to any other human child.”

Mississippi and Kentucky, in March of 2019,  passed the heartbeat bill whichwould ban most abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks — a time where many women are not even aware of their pregnancy.

The heartbeat bill in Ohio got final approval in the week of April 11. Alabama considered going further towards the beginning of April, with legislation introduced to criminalize abortion at any stage unless the mother’s health is in jeopardy.

Bills with similar contents have been considered in at least seven other states with pro-life majorities in their legislatures.

After the heartbeat bill in Kentucky was signed by its  governor, Marcie Crim of the Kentucky Health Justice Network, which runs a fund supporting Kentuckians who opt to get abortions, said they could “feel the fear.”

The bans promoted by such bills are having trouble advancing forward, because of the precedent set by Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that stated that laws which  criminalized or restricted access to abortions are unconstitutional due to the 14th amendment to the constitution. The supreme court decision gives right to an abortion during the first three months of pregnancy. Kentucky’s heartbeat law, as of right now, has been blocked by a federal judge, and pro-choice lawyers are looking for similar intervention in Mississippi before the law is in full effect on July 1.

Justin Dyer, a political science professor at University of Missouri, said “if even one circuit breaks with Roe v. Wade and upholds a heartbeat ban, that could be enough for the Supreme Court to take up the issue.” The Supreme Court could either uphold the original decision made in Roe v. Wade, or they could overturn it, permitting states to make stricter anti-abortion regulations.

Abortion opponent and teacher at Catholic University of America , Michael New, explained that the lack of knowledge we have to predict what the court will do “gives pro-lifers hope that legislation which offers more comprehensive protection to the unborn will receive a sympathetic hearing.”

Other states where heartbeat bills have been filed include Tennessee, Missouri, South Carolina, Florida, Texas, Louisiana and West Virginia.