GOP convention votes on wide-ranging platform including striking law protecting abortion providers from being charged with murder
Texas Republicans are open to applying the death penalty to abortion providers, a new proposal from the state party indicates.
Over the weekend, during the Texas GOP convention, Republican delegates voted on a party platform for 2024 that proclaims “abortion is not healthcare, it is homicide” and suggests striking a state law that protects abortion providers from being charged with homicide. In Texas, capital murder is punishable by the death penalty. Killing a child under the age of 15 can qualify as capital murder, the most severe form of homicide.
Elsewhere in the platform, the Texas GOP calls for “legislation to abolish abortion by immediately securing the right to life and equal protection of the laws to all preborn children from the moment of fertilization”.
I don’t really want to stick up for Texas Republicans, because fuck ‘em, but the state platform has always been beyond crazy, and even the elected officials don’t try to implement it anywhere near completely, precisely because it’s the one thing that would make the low-information voters they count on take pause.
The real platform, which is plenty scary enough, is (1) obey the donors, and (2) mollify the base with whatever the governor, lt. governor, and AG are spouting off about this month.
That said, I fully support these articles every year, because the horrified reaction reminds the GOP overlords that they’re still subject to a few limits.
I genuinely don’t understand what you’re trying to do here if not stick up for republicans.
I’m not entirely sure either. I guess maybe just trying to add some context. I’m less sanguine than I used to be that this extra level of crazy won’t escape the state convention, but historically it hasn’t.
I think that’s fair. For what it’s worth, I’m not willing to assume it’s political theater anymore. Eventually theater drags the Overton window to the right and becomes a demand of the base and becomes policy.
It’s dangerous regardless as a result.