Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Sunday urged the Texas Legislature to amend the state’s near-total abortion ban to resolve confusion about when doctors are allowed to terminate pregnancies, particularly in cases where the health or life of the mother is at risk.
During an appearance on WFAA's "Inside Texas Politics," Patrick expressed concern that the current law, which went into effect in 2022, may be causing hesitation among doctors due to its ambiguous language. “I do think we need to clarify any language so that doctors are not in fear of being penalized if they think the life of the mother is at risk,” Patrick said.
The Texas abortion ban prohibits abortions in almost all cases, with exceptions only when the life of the pregnant person is endangered. However, some medical professionals have raised concerns that the law’s language lacks clarity on how severe a medical condition must be for an abortion to be legally justified. The potential consequences for violating the law include severe penalties, such as life imprisonment and fines up to $100,000.
Patrick’s comments mark the first time a major state official has publicly supported changes to the law in the current legislative session. While Republican lawmakers have occasionally discussed modifying the state’s abortion laws, no significant legislative efforts have materialized. In 2022, Sen. Bob Nichols of Jacksonville suggested he would support expanding abortion access to rape victims, but no such bill has been brought to the Senate floor.
As the president of the Texas Senate, Patrick wields significant influence over the legislative agenda. However, his recent interim priorities—sent to Senate committees last year—did not mention any proposed reforms to the state’s abortion laws. It remains to be seen how high of a priority abortion law changes will be for Patrick as the session continues.
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