Prop A Targets and Isolates Pregnant People
In this series, we're diving into the 18-page ordinance that’s currently threatening Amarillo’s culture, economy, and the well-being of its people. So far, we’ve covered how this will encourage neighbors to sue neighbors, encourages lawsuits without proof, prevents you from defending yourself in court, imposes extreme fines on its victims, and criminalizes free speech and association by creating cruel and unfair trials.
Prop A is designed to isolate and harm Amarillo's families, violating constitutional rights and creating barriers to reproductive care. Although this ordinance still allows individuals to seek abortion services out of state, it creates an environment of fear and isolation by targeting the families, friends, and doctors who support them.
Prop A’s Legal Loophole: Who’s Really Targeted?
The ordinance's text makes it clear that those who assist pregnant people are the real targets. Anyone offering aid to someone seeking an abortion, whether by providing a ride, financial support, or medical advice, can be sued for a minimum of $10,000. This punishment extends to people who may simply be offering emotional support, which not only isolates pregnant people from their community and families, but also discourages others from stepping in to help.
An excerpt from the Prop-A ordinance
The heavy penalties outlined in the ordinance are designed to inflict fear and harm, limiting the support systems that are crucial to people who need to access an abortion. While the ordinance claims that individuals can still seek this healthcare out of state, the isolation it creates leaves people vulnerable, alone, and cut off from vital support systems.
How It Hurts Amarillo Families
Imagine a husband drives his wife to New Mexico to obtain an abortion due to health complications. Under Prop A, even though the wife is not directly penalized, her husband could be sued by anyone for simply transporting her. People who are in desperate need of healthcare are being left at the brink of death under current Texas state law. Prop A would exasperate these medical emergencies, leaving people in even worse circumstances.
What if you found yourself in similar circumstances? Say a close friend gives you some cash to help pay for gas so that you can travel to New Mexico for healthcare. While you will not be punished for seeking an abortion, your friend can be sued for a minimum of $10,000 just for handing you a $20 bill. These small acts of kindness will result in lawsuits, discouraging even the closest family and friends from offering support to their loved one.
This won’t just harm our families, but it puts our doctors and nurses, who offer advice or provide care, under impossible circumstances. Healthcare professionals may become targets under this ordinance. They will be forced to either treat their patients accordingly or face, potentially, multiple lawsuits. Fear of retaliation could result in fewer healthcare options for pregnant people, driving Amarillo further into a healthcare crisis.
The Impact on Amarillo Pregnancies
The ripple effect of Prop A reaches beyond just reproductive rights—it profoundly affects the health, emotional well-being, and support networks of Amarillo’s families. This ordinance imposes a legal and social burden on those seeking abortion care, as well as those who assist them, creating a chilling effect on access to healthcare and personal freedoms.
Emotional Isolation: By legally targeting supporters, Prop A creates a fear-driven environment that isolates pregnant people from their families, friends, and communities. Without access to emotional and logistical support, those seeking care are left to navigate a deeply personal and challenging experience alone. This social isolation is not only emotionally devastating but also puts pregnant individuals at greater risk of mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.
Health Complications: For pregnant people, particularly those facing high-risk pregnancies, delayed access to abortion or reproductive care can lead to life-threatening medical complications. This ordinance intensifies these risks by discouraging healthcare professionals from providing timely, necessary information and care. People might find themselves unable to rely on their local doctors for advice or post-care support, leaving them vulnerable to medical emergencies.
Economic Hardship: Prop A exacerbates financial strain on people by forcing them to travel out of state for care, which often requires taking time off work, finding childcare, and covering travel expenses. Many pregnant people, particularly those from low-income or marginalized communities, simply cannot afford these additional costs. For those already struggling to make ends meet, the ordinance turns reproductive care into an unreachable privilege, further deepening inequities in healthcare access.
Vulnerable Populations Disproportionately Affected: Prop A will have a particularly damaging impact on marginalized communities, including people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. These groups already face barriers to healthcare access, and the ordinance's targeting of support systems further compounds these obstacles. For those without extensive networks of support or financial means, the ability to seek care becomes virtually impossible.
Prop A creates a hostile environment in which both emotional and physical health are jeopardized. This ordinance is not simply about restricting abortion access—it systematically removes the vital connections that help birthing people navigate complex healthcare needs.
The Equal Protection Clause
Prop A disproportionately targets pregnant people and the individuals who support them, undermining the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees that no state shall "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." The ordinance creates an unequal system where only those aiding birthing people seeking abortion face legal consequences, leaving the birthing individuals themselves in a uniquely isolated position, both legally and socially.
This selective enforcement discriminates against pregnant people, a group already marginalized within healthcare systems. It imposes penalties on those assisting them, effectively isolating them from vital care and emotional support. By penalizing only certain individuals based on their connection to abortion-related activities, Prop A creates a legal framework that perpetuates inequality and unjustly targets those in need of reproductive care, violating their constitutional right to equal protection under the law.
