YCT Testimony in Favor of HB 36

Check out UT Chairman Dustin Matocha’s testimony in favor of HB 36

Good afternoon Chairman Solomons, and Vice chairman Menendez. I’d like to thank you and all the Representatives on the House Affairs Committee for the opportunity to speak before you today.

My name is Dustin Matocha. I am the Chairman of Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) at the University of Texas where I am also a freshman. I am here today on behalf of our statewide organization to support HB 36.

I represent my statewide organization when I urge the Committee to adopt this bill because it represents Texas’ interest in the health and welfare of women across the state. We believe it is completely justifiable to require informed consent from pregnant women who want to undergo an abortion procedure.

We find concerns about the bill’s Constitutionality unwarranted. This bill does not encroach on a woman’s right to an abortion, it is not another attempt to ignore the rulings from Roe v. Wade; it is simply requiring that women acknowledge that an abortion can lead to infection, infertility, complications of a subsequent pregnancy, increased risks of breast cancer, and emotional distress for years to come.

 This bill also would require for women to view the ultrasound prior to the abortion procedure. It is not unreasonable to require the woman to see the child she is about to abort, nor is it asking too much for a pregnant woman to hear alternatives prior to receiving an abortion. The procedure would be free of cost to her, and if she still desires and abortion, will be given one. But only after an ultrasound can a woman truly see and claim to understand exactly what she is about to terminate. But for those who argue that a process like this would potentially cause trouble if a woman experiences severe problems during pregnancy, let me point out that this bill allows the woman and doctor to forego the requirements of this bill if the doctor feels like it is a “medical emergency”.

Representatives of the Committee, I ask that you vote in favor of HB 36 to protect the health and safety of all pregnant women in Texas, and represent the sentiment of Texans who fervently wish to limit the practice of abortion in our state.

Thank You.