(photo: Calsidyrose/flickr)

Written by Andrea Grimes for RH Reality Check. This diary is cross-posted; commenters wishing to engage directly with the author should do so at the original post.

In opposition to new proposed abortion reporting restrictions in Texas, ten Democratic legislators have sent an open letter to Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Tom Suehs urging him to not to move forward with the new rules, which would increase the amount of information gathered on abortion-seeking people and require doctors to report vaguely defined “complications” from abortion.

“The proposed rule does not represent the will of the legislative body and, if implemented through rulemaking, would serve to circumvent the legislative process,” wrote the legislators.

The new rules are being proposed after anti-choice, Tea Party-endorsed legislator Rep. Bill Zedler and his past colleagues were repeatedly unable to enact them through democratic means in the Texas Legislature over the past several years. Texas health officials have agreed to look into adopting the failed legislation by rule rather than law. In their letter, the Democratic legislators say this sets a “terrible precedent.”

“If this rule is published and adopted, it sets a terrible precedent and will have serious ramifications for years to come,” write the legislators.

But Texas health officials seem anxious to appease Zedler, though they are increasingly backtracking on initial openness about cooperating with the legislator.

As originally reported by RH Reality Check, at the first public meeting discussing the new requirements in April 2012, Department of State Health Services regulatory unit manager Renee Clack said the meeting was called to discuss “some amendments the department has included that specifically relate to a request by Representative Zedler.”

DSHS’ openness about the origins of their new rule are also illustrated in documents obtained by the Austin Chronicle and shared with RH Reality Check this week. They include a March 21, 2012 memo sent from Department of State Health Services Commissioner David Lakey to Executive Commissioner Suehs “to discuss possible reporting requirements that relate to an amendment by Representative William Zedler.” The memo describes the rules’ background thusly: Read the rest of this entry →

Written by Andrea Grimes for RH Reality Check. This diary is cross-posted; commenters wishing to engage directly with the author should do so at the original post.

Next week, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Council will consider whether to adopt new abortion reporting requirements in the state–requirements that are being proposed at the behest of a Republican politician who failed to get his desired requirements passed through democratic means in the state legislature last year.

Tea Party-endorsed Rep. Bill Zedler wants the state to collect more personal information about abortion-seeking women and increase vague “complication” reporting requirements for abortion providers. The Texas HHSC is considering the new requirements as a kind of consolation prize to Zedler, who tried and failed to pass the requirements as an amendment to the Texas law that bars Planned Parenthood (and other “abortion affiliates”) from participating in the Medicaid Women’s Health Program in the state.

“The amendment wasn’t added,” Department of State Health Services press officer Carrie Williams told RH Reality Check in April, “but at the time HHSC and DSHS agreed to look at the additional requirements and determine what elements could possibly be adopted by rule.”

RH Reality Check filed a public information request for correspondence between Rep. Zedler’s office and the DSHS to find out how the department came to be catering to one anti-choice Republican’s demands. Documents show the answer is simple: mighty politely, in true friendly Texan style. Zedler’s office asked for what it wanted, and DSHS did its best to comply with their requests.

The original version of Zedler’s amendment is farther reaching than the new requirements proposed by HHSC. Zedler originally wanted to find out, as reported by the Dallas Observer, the abortion-seeker’s:

Read the rest of this entry →