Health Care
Texans ‘Will Die’: House Republicans Pass Anti-Planned Parenthood Bill After Emotional Debate
Yes, I am a Sorceress
Representative Jonathan Stickland has brought the dark truth at the heart of pediatric medicine to light.
Last week, Baylor pediatrician-scientist and vaccine advocate Dr. Peter Hotez pointed out on Twitter that vaccination rates in some Texas schools have fallen be...Read More
Texas House Votes to Significantly Expand Medical Marijuana Law
The proposal, which still must pass the more-conservative Senate, would allow doctors to prescribe cannabis to patients who suffer from cancer, autism, PTSD, severe pain and other conditions.
Christy and Mark Zartler consider cannabis to be their daughter’s “rescue medicine.” Kara, 19, has severe autism and cerebral palsy, and has hurt ...Read More
Religious Exemption Bill Could Leave LGBTQ Texans Scrambling for Health Care
About a quarter of Texas counties have two or fewer primary care doctors and pharmacists. What happens if they refuse service?
Matthew Glass said the first red flag was when the pharmacist called across the room, loud enough for other customers to hear, “What’s the Truvada for?” T...Read More
‘Do Something with This Grief’: Mom of Santa Fe Shooting Victim Turns to Politics
Rhonda Hart, a gun reform advocate whose daughter was killed in the Santa Fe High School shooting last May, is running for school board in her bright red Texas district.
by Sophie Novack April 23, 2019 UPDATE: Rhonda Hart lost the school board race on May 4 with 33 percent of the vote, but she continues to advocate for gun viole...Read More
‘Lies into Laws’: Texas House Passes ‘Born Alive’ Anti-Abortion Bill Despite Protest
“The aim of HB 16 is clear: further stigmatize abortion, misinform the public, intimidate physicians and interfere with women’s ability to seek medical care,” said state Representative Donna Howard.
As the Texas House voted on the first anti-abortion bill to make it to the floor this session, advocates rolled down a banner above the board displaying lawmake...Read More
Texas House Advances Bill that Could Actually Clear the Rape Kit Backlog
Lawmakers have been using Band-Aids to address the backlog of untested rape kits since 2011. This session could bring a real fix.
State lawmakers have been talking about fixing the rape kit backlog since 2011, when former state Senator Wendy Davis passed legislation requiring an audit that...Read More
Watchdog Organization Calls for (Another) Investigation into Failed Texas Anti-Abortion Group
Former Heidi Group employees say a new effort by the group to secure family planning funding inflates the organization’s track record.
A watchdog organization is calling for a federal investigation into the Heidi Group, a controversial Texas anti-abortion group that is now accused of lying on i...Read More
Texas Republicans Dismiss Research as They Move to Further Defund Planned Parenthood
Jane Nelson, the Senate’s chief budget writer, praised the Legislature’s funding of women’s health programs despite state data and other research that shows they are not meeting the needs of poor women.
Reproductive health advocates have long pointed to Texas as a cautionary tale of what happens when lawmakers prioritize defunding Planned Parenthood and boostin...Read More
Texas Lawmakers Propose Funding Increase to Eliminate Waitlists at Rape Crisis Centers
One-quarter of the state’s crisis centers, which provide free services to survivors of sexual assault, have waitlists between two and five months.
Requests for services at rape crisis centers in Texas have increased by around 25 percent since 2016, driving waitlists for counseling up to eight months in som...Read More