Amended Life of the Mother Act Unaimously Passes Committee and Heads to Senate Floor
'Pro-life laws in Texas are to protect a little unborn baby growing inside her mother's womb, and we recognize the mom also deserves protection. We can love them both, and protect them both,' State Senator Bryan Hughes said.
He filed Senate Bill 31, the Life of the Mother Act, as a way to clarify some of the exceptions under the state's current abortion law. Especially for some doctors who were confused and scared to treat their patients.
'Despite our willingness and commitment to provide the best care possible that there were circumstances where our decision making could result in adverse consequences for us, both personally and professionally,' Texas Medical Association Dr. Zeke Silva said.
The bill was first heard in the state affairs committee at the end of March. After valuable feedback, Hughes went to work with the Texas Medical Association to clear up the confusion on who would be charged and when they would face consequences.
Hughes reiterating the mother would not be prosecuted for having an abortion.
'Exempting us from any charge of aiding and abetting during discussions that happen commonly between a physician and their patient,' Dr. Silva said.
The amendments also took out the word 'Life-threatening' when referring to medical emergencies.
'This bill clarifies that there's no expectation to wait until those shortcomings are imminent or to wait until the mother's condition turns to a point that would lend itself to that, Dr. Silva said. 'Clarified the definition of a condition called an ectopic pregnancy to better align that definition with current medical standards and accurate anatomic decisions and descriptions.'
The amended bill also adds required education for lawyers and doctors to better understand Texas abortion laws. After getting a unanimous green light, the amended bill will now make its way to the Senate floor to be discussed and voted on before the 89th Legislative Session ends on June 2nd.
'Texas pro-life laws have always recognized an exception for the life of the Mother,' Hughes said.
Senate Bill 31 will make the law even clearer and will require doctors to receive specific training on the medical emergency exception.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
RNC Chair Michael Whatley launches North Carolina Senate bid
Michael Whatley, the chair of the Republican National Committee, formally launched his bid to be North Carolina's next senator Thursday afternoon. "I know that North Carolina wants to see our economy do better, more jobs created, safer communities and a stronger military. And so do I. Which is why I am very proud today to announce, that with the complete and total endorsement of President Donald Trump, I am running to be the next senator from the great state of North Carolina," Whatley said. Whatley's announcement sets the scene for what's bound to be an expensive and buzzy race to fill the seat left vacant by retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, as the state's former Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, kicked off his candidacy earlier this week. MORE: Democrat Roy Cooper launches Senate bid in North Carolina for Tillis' seat In his Thursday speech, Whatley attempted to closely link former President Joe Biden to Cooper, criticizing Cooper on several issues: his response to Hurricane Helene, for adopting "radical left" ideology, and being weak on the economy. Whatley also slammed Cooper for standing by Biden after his infamous presidential debate performance, but then quickly endorsing Harris after Biden stepped off the ticket. Whatley continued his pitch as the anti-Cooper. "Roy Cooper has shown us exactly what his vision for America is, higher taxes, dangerous streets, radical gender ideology and a weaker America. I believe in a better North Carolina and a stronger America, more money in your pocket, safe communities, common sense and a strong country, a better state where you can buy a home, start a family, see your kids do better than you have right here in the Old North State." In response to Whatley's run, Cooper's campaign manager Jeff Allen slammed Whatley as a lobbyist and Washington insider. "North Carolinians don't need a lobbyist as their Senator, and voters will have a clear choice between Whatley's long career as a Beltway insider against Roy Cooper's record of putting partisanship aside to get results for North Carolina," Allen said in a statement. Though Cooper and Whatley may have challengers as the primary progresses, they are seen as the front-runners. Their candidacies have been rubber-stamped by their party's respective top brass with President Donald Trump asking Whatley to run, according to sources familiar with the discussion. Former Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel, who had launched a bid in April, dropped out and endorsed Cooper after the former governor formalized his run. Whatley said Trump needs a strong ally in Congress, and that voters can be sure he can be that bridge to the White House if elected. "President Trump deserves an ally, and North Carolina deserves a strong conservative voice in the Senate, I will be that voice," said Whatley. MORE: GOP Sen. Tillis won't run for reelection after Trump primary threat A North Carolina native, Whatley led the state's Republican Party before he was selected by Trump to lead the RNC in 2024 and worked alongside Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law, who was the co-chair. Lara Trump was floated as a potential candidate, but eventually ruled out the run. Trump is hopeful that Whatley has the knowledge of the state, the national profile and the network of relationships to run a strong campaign, a White House official told ABC News. Republicans also say they hope Whatley's connections with donors will be an advantage for him in what will likely be one of the most expensive races in next year's elections. On Capitol Hill Tuesday, Tillis said he has been advising Whatley on what to expect, and said Cooper was a formidable opponent. "Michael's just got to be prepared for criticism he's going to get that is unfounded, the same criticism I would have gotten," Tillis said. In his initial social media post endorsing Whatley, Trump also endorsed RNC treasurer and Florida state Senator Joe Gruters to become the new chair of the RNC. ABC News' Oren Oppenheim and Isabella Murray contributed to this report.
The Hill
27 minutes ago
- The Hill
Bipartisan pair of senators seek billions in new Ukraine aid
A bipartisan pair of senators introduced legislation Thursday calling for tens of billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine to be spent over the next two years, as Russian President Vladimir Putin rebuffs calls from President Trump to halt the war. The bill was introduced by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a member of the Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a member of the Appropriations Committee. The top line figure for the bill comes in at over $50 billion, according to Shaheen's office. The Shaheen-Murkowski bill comes as the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced on Thursday a defense funding bill with $1 billion in military assistance related to Ukraine. Still, the bill's passage faces long odds in the Republican-controlled Congress, where GOP leaders in the House and Senate have deferred to Trump over which legislation makes it to the floor. The administration has slashed foreign aid so far, and administration officials and some GOP lawmakers regularly rally against sending U.S. military and assistance abroad. While Congress approved $60 billion in Ukraine funding in April 2024, 18 senators voted against it, including Vice President Vance, then the Republican senator from Ohio. And Senate Majority Leader John Thune has held back putting on the floor a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill — with a veto-proof majority of co-sponsors — at the request of Trump, who wants to decide when to impose sanctions on Russia if Moscow fails to negotiate an end to the war. Trump has set an Aug. 8 deadline. But Shaheen and Murkowski are framing their legislation as giving Trump additional tools to force Putin to the negotiating table — by scaling up Ukraine's military capabilities to withstand Russian attacks. The legislation also sets up guardrails to protect against executive action limiting assistance to Ukraine. The language responds to Trump's decision in March to pause intelligence sharing to Ukraine for one week after a public spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, and a decision by the Pentagon earlier this month to pause certain weapons transfers to Ukraine pending a review. Shaheen and Murkowski's legislation provides billions of dollars in direct military assistance to Ukraine, but much of the funding is intended for investing in military production in the U.S., and also seeks novel ways of raising funds to pay for support for Kyiv. This includes using interest earned from frozen Russian assets in the U.S. to fund assistance for Kyiv, sending to Ukraine 'seized,' 'illicit' weapons from non-state actors or using the sale of those weapons to fund military equipment for Ukraine, and prioritizing American military production for purchases by U.S.-allies to then be sent to Ukraine. The bill also codifies Trump's so-called minerals deal with Ukraine, called the Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, which was established in May. U.S. military assistance to Ukraine is expected to be counted as a U.S. contribution into the fund. Direct funding for military assistance for Ukraine includes $30 billion lasting until 2027 and provides $3 billion in Foreign Military Financing for Ukraine over the next two fiscal years. The bill increases the Presidential Drawdown Authority from $100 million to $6 billion each year, allowing the U.S. to pull directly from Pentagon weapons stockpiles to send to Ukraine, with the money to pay for backfilling those stocks. The bill also provides $600 million for the State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement to support Ukrainian law enforcement and anti-corruption programming. It provides $50 million for war crimes prosecutions. Shaheen and Murkowski also include $1 billion for a trilateral drone initiative — for research, development and production of drones with Ukraine and Taiwan — to learn lessons from Ukraine's fight against Russia. The bill also creates a task force 'to process lessons learned from Ukraine's fight, including modern warfighting doctrine' and how to counter U.S. vulnerabilities to drone attacks. 'This bipartisan bill is a win for America,' Shaheen said in a statement. 'It supports our defense industrial base, American manufacturers and workers — all while ensuring the U.S. military learns from Ukraine's battlefield innovations. Make no mistake: unprovoked violence against U.S. partners by would-be aggressors in the Kremlin and Beijing will be met by unshakable resolve from the U.S. and our allies.' 'I'm pleased to work with Senator Shaheen in introducing the Supporting Ukraine Act of 2025, which reaffirms our commitment to both Ukraine's sovereignty and America's national interests,' Murkowski said in a statement. 'By providing critical funding for military and humanitarian assistance, this legislation ensures Ukraine can continue to resist Russia's illegal and brutal war.' She added, 'We are also incorporating the use of seized Russian assets to hold aggressors accountable, while strengthening America's military preparedness by applying valuable battlefield insights from Ukraine's fight and sharing these lessons with critical partners like Taiwan. It's time to reaffirm our leadership on the world stage and show that our support for our allies is unwavering.'
Boston Globe
27 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
State Senate approves legislation banning cell phones public schools
While such a ban has support from Speaker Ron Mariano Mariano, a former school teacher, has previously said he recognizes phones 'are a distraction in schools but also understands concerns raised by some parents worried about how to keep in contact with kids during emergencies,' according to a Related : Advertisement Supporters of the ban said curbing cell phone use by children and teens is needed to combat bullying and cyberbullying. Cutting down on screentime allows them to spend more time developing stronger personal relationships and community ties, advocates have said. Advertisement Excessive cellphone use has also been connected to adverse mental health outcomes, like depression, health experts have said. State Senator John Keenan, a Quincy Democrat, told his colleagues student cell phone use also has contributed to their participation in online sports betting, and banning the devices would help cut down young people's access to sports betting during the day. Keenan said a high school intern in his office showed him how easy it is for someone who is underage to access a sports betting platform. The intern 'shared with us what many others have shared, and that is that sports betting is really running rampant among underage people, particularly in our schools,' Keenan said. In 2024, Pew research Lewis said 33 other states have laws or policies in place to ban, limit, or discourage cell phone use in schools. And roughly half of US states already ban cellphones in schools, he said, including New York, Florida, and Texas. Several local districts, including Brockton, Fall River, Ipswich, Methuen, and Newton, already have rules in place restricting student use of cellphones. The Senate bill carves out several exceptions to the ban for students, according to the measure. They include children who need devices as part of special education services; those who need it for medical reasons, like treating diabetes; and for students who need to leave school for internships or other off-campus programs where a cell phone is needed. Advertisement Schools must also have a method for parents and guardians to reach students, or for children to contact their parent or guardian. The Senate bill would require schools to have policies in place before the start of the 2026-27 school year that block access to phones. The state's K-12 education department would also have to provide guidance to the schools and districts on the creation of such policies, according to the bill. Health experts like former US surgeon general Vivek Murthy have warned heavy social media use by young people is associated with 'significant mental health harms,' and most users interact with those platforms on their phones. Several local districts, including Brockton, Fall River, Ipswich, Methuen, and Newton, already have rules in place restricting student use of cellphones. John Hilliard can be reached at
