Texas Legislators Threaten Sidley Over Abortion Care Travel Costs

Perfectly, we knew it’d come to this. Correct-wing, anti-decision legislators are sad simply regulating women’s bodies in just the borders of their condition, so they’ve kicked it up a notch. In the wake of the Dobbs final decision overturning the constitutional protections for reproductive liberty in Roe v. Wade, a amount of employers have promised to spend travel costs for any employee who seeks abortion care but can’t entry it in their dwelling state. And Biglaw has also stepped up on this difficulty. Indeed, it carries on to be bullshit that we’re relying on companies and companies for bodily autonomy, but till there is a extra lasting solution, this work reward could make all the big difference in the world for a person who wants an abortion now.

But as band-assist-like as this non permanent option is, some Texas legislators are decided to ban that practice as nicely. Their hottest concentrate on? Biglaw giant Sidley.

Yesterday, Sidley Chair Yvette Ostolaza received a letter (down below) from the ironically named Texas Flexibility Caucus threatening the organization for getting treatment of the health care desires of its staff members:

Abortion is a felony prison offense in Texas except if the mother’s everyday living is in hazard. See West’s Texas Civil Statutes, write-up 4512.1 (1974) (connected). The law of Texas also imposes felony felony legal responsibility on any person who “furnishes the signifies for procuring an abortion knowing the purpose meant.” West’s Texas Civil Statutes, post 4512.2 (1974). This has been the legislation of Texas given that 1925, and Texas did not repeal these legal prohibitions in reaction to Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973). These prison prohibitions extend to drug-induced abortions if any component of the drug program is ingested in Texas, even if the prescription drugs had been dispensed by an out-of-state abortionist. To the extent that Sidley is facilitating abortions carried out in violation of posting 4512.1, it is exposing by itself and each of its partners to felony legal prosecution and disbarment.

The letter also information proposed legislation to be launched in Texas that will “impose additional civil and legal sanctions on legislation companies that spend for abortions or abortion vacation.” The “Freedom” Caucus would like to impose felony legal sanctions on anyone shelling out for an abortion, allow personal citizens to sue about it à la SB 8, and any lawyer who “furnish[es] the suggests for procuring an abortion realizing the reason intended” will deal with disbarment. The letter threatens, “The condition of Texas will guarantee that you and colleagues are held accountable for every single abortion that you illegally assisted.”

We achieved out to Sidley for remark, but did not immediately hear again.

In this battle in excess of the essential right to travel — for no matter what good reasons — Sidley will want a few superior attorneys. Fortuitously, I listen to they’ve obtained a few of these kicking all over.

Read the Texas Independence Caucus’s letter beneath.

Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Earlier mentioned the Regulation, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Wondering Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the most effective, so you should join with her. Feel absolutely free to electronic mail her with any recommendations, inquiries, or comments and adhere to her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).