A Texas state lawmaker proposes giving fetuses legal representation when the mother is brain-dead.
State Rep. Matt Krause (R) introduced a measure requiring the state to appoint a lawyer to “represent the unborn child’s interests” in the event of the mother’s brain death, the Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday.
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According to the Texas ACLU, state anti-abortion organizations elsewhere have been promoting similar legislation.
Many states already have laws that provide legal protections for fetuses. In several states, pregnant women can be prosecuted for drug use and forced into jail or treatment. Last year, Louisiana enacted a law that requires hospitals to keep brain dead women on life support if they are at least 20 weeks pregnant.
