TX Dem Candidate Vows to Eliminate Criminal Penalties for Abortions

Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Hinojosa outlined her stance on abortion policy and what changes she would pursue if elected governor, according to Breitbart News.

The Democratic candidate stated her firm support for abortion rights, noting that her voting record reflects her position on the issue. When pressed by CNN host Dana Bash about how she would change Texas abortion laws—which currently ban the procedure with very limited medical exceptions—Hinojosa acknowledged the political challenges ahead.

Hinojosa admitted that reversing Texas’s abortion restrictions would require sustained political effort, but identified what she called a potential area of bipartisan agreement: removing criminal sanctions against physicians.

Under current Texas law, doctors who perform abortions face up to 99 years in prison, even when the procedure is intended to save the mother’s life. Hinojosa argued that this severe penalty has created a chilling effect on medical practice, with physicians fearful of second-guessing by political boards.

The Democratic gubernatorial hopeful claimed that doctors are now reluctant to intervene in pregnancy complications, forcing women to deteriorate to critical conditions before receiving treatment. She asserted that maternal deaths in Texas have increased as a result of these legal constraints.

Hinojosa suggested that eliminating criminal penalties for doctors could serve as a starting point for abortion law reform in the conservative state, claiming such a measure could attract support from both sides of the political aisle.

The interview highlighted the continuing political divide over abortion policy in Texas, one of the most restrictive states on the issue following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.

With information from Breitbart News