logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2021
17m 26s

Texas abortion laws

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Texas has introduced the most stringent abortion law in America. Tamasin Ford assesses some of the reaction to this law by employers and employees who have traditionally been attracted to the Lone Star State because of its low taxes and lower house prices.

Ashley Lopez, NPR journalist in Austin explains the complexities of the law and how it will disproportionately affect women of colour. Curtis Sparrer, co-founder of PR firm Bospar, explains how his company is offering to help relocate employees who want to move out of the state. And Vivek Bhaskaran, CEO of Austin-based QuestionPro, explains how his company will offer financial assistance to employees who need to get a termination. We also hear from Valerie Veteto, who moved to Texas, attracted by its job prospects and low house prices, but is now preparing for a move to New York.

Producer: Nisha Patel

(Picture: Protests outside the Supreme Court in the US Credit: Getty Images)

Up next
Today
The cocoa conundrum
<p>Can Europe be weaned off cheap chocolate? EU efforts to block cocoa linked to deforestation were due to come into force at the end of this year – but have faced multiple delays. Another vote is due to take place soon. Some parties are pushing for further delay and modification ... Show More
20m 42s
Yesterday
Is this the end for South East Asia's scam centres?
<p>It’s one of the biggest human trafficking operations of modern times. Scam centres across South East Asia have been making hundreds of billions of dollars annually, it’s estimated, conning people into fake crypto-currency investment schemes. </p><p>But now these centres could ... Show More
18m 29s
Nov 24
Monetising Machu Picchu
<p>Peru is home to Machu Picchu - the ancient Inca city in the Andes mountains. </p><p>It's one of the seven wonders of the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The popular tourist destination attracts millions of visitors, making it very lucrative for the government, local a ... Show More
17m 38s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
What Next: What It Takes to Get an Abortion in Texas
Last week, the Texas Supreme Court handed down a decision: Abortion providers can no longer sue state medical licensing offiicials to challenge Texas’ six-week abortion ban. Senate Bill 8, as it’s known, went into effect six months ago with ongoing legal battles in local, state a ... Show More
26m 3s
Dec 2023
Texas Grants Nation's First Court-Sanctioned Abortion
<p>A Texas judge ruled Thursday that a woman can terminate her pregnancy because of a lethal abnormality in the fetus. It’s the first attempt in the country to use the courts to obtain an abortion since the end of Roe v Wade, and Thursday’s ruling is meant to shield the woman and ... Show More
27m 51s
Sep 2021
How Texas Banned Almost All Abortions
<p>In a way, the new Texas law that has effectively banned abortions after six weeks is typical — many other Republican-led states have sought to ban abortions after six, 10 or 15 weeks. </p><p>But where federal courts have routinely struck down other anti-abortion laws, the Texa ... Show More
21m 38s
Jul 2023
The Court's Blow to LGBTQ Rights
Professor Katherine Franke, Director of the Center for Gender & Sexuality Law at Columbia Law School, discusses the implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling that a Christian website designer has a free-speech right to refuse to create wedding pages for same-sex couples. Labor & ... Show More
29m 55s
Dec 2023
The Woman Who Fought the Texas Abortion Ban
<p>A major case in Texas this week drew attention to the question of who can get exempted from an abortion ban. Most states that have banned the procedure allow for rare exceptions, but while that might seem clear on paper, in practice, it’s far more ambiguous.</p><p>Kate Cox, th ... Show More
29m 23s
Oct 2021
‘They Don’t Understand That We’re Real People’
<p><i>This episode contains strong language.</i></p><p>A month ago, Texas adopted a divisive law which effectively banned abortions in the state. Despite a number of legal challenges, the law has survived and is having an impact across state lines. </p><p>Trust Women is abortion ... Show More
37m 30s
May 2024
Can Texas go it alone on border control?
Last year the US state of Texas introduced a controversial law designed to control the huge number of undocumented migrants crossing its southern border with Mexico. The law known as Senate Bill 4 or SB4, allows local and state police the power to arrest and charge people with a ... Show More
23m 1s
Jun 2021
Abortion in America, Stamping out sexual harassment in the workplace, Talking to young people about drugs
Last month the US Supreme Court agreed to consider a major challenge to reproductive rights, saying it will look at the state of Mississippi’s bid to enforce a ban on almost all abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy. Two days later the Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbo ... Show More
57m 38s