Texas Gov. Greg Abbott claimed that rape victims can take Plan B pills to prevent pregnancy, seemingly disagreeing with the state’s recently passed abortion ban.
Last year in June, Abbott signed a 30-day trigger bill in Texas that enforces criminal penalties on people who perform or aid abortions after fertilization. Known as the Human Life Protection Act, HB 1280 makes it a felony, and violators may face up to life in prison and a minimum fine of $100,000 for each offense.
“We want to support those victims, but also those victims can access healthcare immediately, as well as to report it,” Abbott told the Dallas Morning News and KXAS-TV during a yet-to-be-aired television segment. “By accessing healthcare immediately, they can get the Plan B pill that can prevent a pregnancy from occurring in the first place.”
WATCH: LORI LIGHTFOOT CALLS GREG ABBOTT ‘UNPATRIOTIC’ FOR BUSING MIGRANTS TO CHICAGO
The Plan B pill is an oral contraceptive taken within 72 hours of contraception to prevent pregnancy. It stops the egg from being released in the ovary to prevent it from being fertilized, according to the product’s website.
Abbott went on to assure Texans that reporting rape will help law enforcement arrest and prosecute more rapists despite the state’s Department of Public Safety reporting only 1,828 arrests for rape for the 13,327 reports received in 2020.
The governor is up for reelection in the state on Nov. 8, facing off against Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke.
“We are going to end Greg Abbott’s career on November 8 and the women of Texas are going to lead the way,” O’Rourke tweeted along with a link to Abbott’s reported statement.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Pharmacies have limited purchases for the oral contraceptives nationwide, as demand for the pills increased following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
