Texas lawmakers consider the death penalty for abortion

AUSTIN, Texas - State legislators stayed up well into the morning hearing emotional testimony about a proposed abortion ban.

House Bill 896 would criminalize abortion and classify it as a homicide. Women who have abortions could be sentenced to the death penalty.

"How essentially one is okay with subjecting a woman to the death penalty for the exact… to do to her the exact same thing that one is alleging that she is doing to a child,” said State Rep. Victoria Neave, a Democrat from Dallas.

“I think it’s important to remember that if a drunk driver kills a pregnant woman, they get charged twice. If you murder a pregnant woman, you get charged twice. So I’m not specifically criminalizing women. What I’m doing is equalizing the law,” said State Rep. Tony Tinderholt, a Republican from Arlington.

The hearing in the House Judiciary Committee wrapped up at 3 a.m. Tuesday.

The bill now goes before the full Texas House for debate.