🤦
Republican lawmakers in Texas have once again introduced a bill that tries to shove fetal personhood into carpool lane regulations. This time, however, the bill passed the House after an amendment from Democrats to include all mothers, whether their children are in the car or not. The dangerous proposal that could further entrench the idea of personhood into state law now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Why help them establish that fetus=person?
(Edit: Having seen the other comments including the language of the bill, it makes more sense.)
HB 2462 passed on Saturday by a vote of 130-2, with all Democrats present voting yes. Notably, Cain voted against it and said in a statement explaining his vote that he did so because Rep. Hinojosa’s amendment “guts the pro-life purpose of the bill.” He wrote, “As originally written, the bill recognized that the unborn child was an additional occupant. The amendment totally disregards this principle.” This should really give the fetal personhood game away: He only cared about defining an “unborn child” as a person.
Because Democrats and Republicans take orders from the same rich masters.
That’s what I tell my GF; these measures aren’t about taking care of the fetus. They’re about establishing law supporting unborn ‘rights’ vs the mother’s. Requiring child support for carrying mothers? Just another law designed to legitimize unborn/fetal personhood. Sure, it sounds good on paper, but let’s instead work on protecting a woman’s medical privacy rights and rights to abortion. Then if we want to develop additional rights around that supporting HOV lanes, medical treatment, pregnancy leave, and child support? Sure, let’s do it.
They didn’t. They made mothers able to use HOV lanes without a second occupant, blocking the GOP’s attempts to use HOV lanes to normalize fetal personhood.
Yeah, makes more sense now. Thanks
Exactly!
I mean pregnant women get priority seats on busses. It would make sense they get priority lanes in traffic too. I dont see a big deal. I’m just glad they have HOV lanes at all.
Meanwhile in Georgia, they got rid of their HOV and bus lanes and made them into toll lanes for rich people.
It’s how they always go. Just look at how Miami turned out. Fucking $20 to be in stop and go traffic for ten miles.
What is it if you dont pay?
It requires the fast/e/sunshine pass that is radio monitored. I’m sure some people do it in other people’s cars that don’t have it, but it’s a fairly hefty ticket if I remember correctly.
I don’t know what’s wrong with Texas. It’s like NO ONE can’t do shiut and they just let any dumb ass pass any laws they come up with on their christian fanatism cause I bet non of it is even endorced by God/Jesus or higher beings. It’s like Ted Cruz and Abbot can pass any laws they want regardless of what the constituents wants and really wish. We’re against Muslims and jihads stuff about how they treat women and their clothes they need to wear but this same texas republican fanatics are pushing in the exact same direction with all their supposedly religious laws, which are just plain bullshit. Just think about a law Ted Cruz passed not too long ago about restricting dildos to 6 per person, like why do you even need to do that with what purpose and how does that even help texas at all?
It’s always weird when we actually get good legislation passed because of this.
This is sexist against fathers and therefore unconstitutional.
Bill text:
Sec. 545.429. USE OF HIGH OCCUPANCY VEHICLE LANE BY CERTAIN OPERATORS. (a) Subject to Subsection (b), a female operator of a motor vehicle who is pregnant or is a parent or legal guardian of another person is entitled to use any high occupancy vehicle lane in this state regardless of the number of occupants in the motor vehicle.
Texas Constitution:
ARTICLE 1. BILL OF RIGHTS
Sec. 3a. EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW. Equality under the law shall not be denied or abridged because of sex, race, color, creed, or national origin. This amendment is self-operative.
What this would actually do (once the test case ruled that it would have to apply to fathers too) is destroy HOV lanes entirely by making everybody able to use them, since the state would have the burden of proof to show that the driver has never had children.
destroy HOV lanes entirely by making everybody able to use them
In Texas, God intended for you to use the most gas possible, and sharing a ride is communism.
Came here to say this too. This just makes HOV pointless.
They’re not managed at all anyway. This just paves the way towards pulling up the little bumpy things that divide the HOV from the rest of the road.
Maybe in Texas, but other states I’ve lived in they are definitely managed and enforced.
But this article is about Texas…
In my experience , they’re pretty much already useless anyway.
Wouldn’t maternity leave also be sexist with that logic?
Well, yeah.
But also maternity leave isn’t even in the law here in the US anyway (maybe some states have it for all I know, but even if so I doubt Texas is among them), so it’s equal-opportunity shittiness and the clause I cited doesn’t really apply.
There’s a material difference between the impact of pregnancy on mothers and fathers (though the latter should also get leave, but I understand if someone argues that mothers need more to recover physically).
This has no bearing on which lane one can use.
If you’re a transgender man who can get pregnant, I don’t see why you cannot use the HOV lane 🫃
That’s why on the first world we have paternity leave. I as a father even had breastfeeding breaks, with the intention of giving the same rights to both parents.
I was with you right up to the breastfeeding breaks, what exactly is the game plan for that break?
Pumped milk can be stored in a bottle and taken with you anywhere you want. I’m told it’s very convenient.
Snacks on the go
Two fold: first, making both parents equal in rights. Second, you can pump milk in advance and give with a bottle. Even if it’s formula, allows the father to be involved.
So it’s just a feeding break?
In somewhat decent states we have it. Oregon does 12 weeks paternity leave and allows it to be intermittent. I did 2 days off for several months recently for our newest screaming asshole of a baby.
But they won’t let fetuses count toward your tax exemptions.
Yet…
How is everyone involved in this not mortally fucking embarrassed over even discussing this stupidity with any seriousness?
Well this is fucking stupid.
4 seat cars can now advertise as seating 36… 4 octomoms
Im a bit shocked they are ok with the “Creature attached to the womb” driving.
Next step: define sperms as fetuses
What HOV lanes? They’ve turned every HOV into a managed toll lane.
That’s the real story
How is this dangerous? Sounds pretty based.
Play stupid games. Win stupid prizes.
Play stupid games, forfeit your country’s democracy.
Ma’am I need you to step out for a field pregnancy test please. STOP RESISTING PEE ON THE STICK
They don’t have to be in the car. So i don’t know how you prove it. You take care of Grandma and file her as a dependent, if you’re female I believe you qualify to drive around in the HOV lane. Take care of Grandma and file her as a dependent as a male, you don’t qualify if I’m reading this bill correctly. Or maybe dependents like that aren’t considered part of guardianship? Not sure. It all sounds dumb.
Claim the fetus on the taxes
Texas, so no state income tax
