Ever since the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v. Wade, sending the decision about the legality of abortion back to the individual states, liberals have put the laws into chaos. Some prosecutors and some in law enforcement are refusing to prosecute, there are court cases in most states and now one woman in Dallas is arguing that her unborn baby is a person for the purposes of Texas traffic laws related to the HOV lane.
The expectant mother said “I pointed to my stomach and said, ‘My baby girl is right here. She is a person.'” Bettone spoke with multiple officers over the course of her encounter.
Plano resident Brandy Bettone was driving in the HOV, or “high occupancy vehicle” lane, along U.S. Highway 75 when she came upon a checkpoint as she exited the highway, reports the Dallas Morning News. “I was driving to pick up my son. I knew I couldn’t be a minute late, so I took the HOV lane,” Bettone said. “As I exited the HOV, there was a checkpoint at the end of the exit. I slammed on my brakes and I was pulled over by police.”
The police officer asked Bettone if there was anyone else in the car with her, so she told him that her daughter, with whom she is pregnant, was inside. “I pointed to my stomach and said, ‘My baby girl is right here. She is a person,'” Bettone said. The officer claimed otherwise, telling her it has to be “two people outside of the body.” She received a citation for $125, with the officer telling her that if she appears in court the citation would probably be dropped, she said.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation website, “A vehicle occupied by two or more people or a motorcyclist may use HOV lanes.”
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It’s difficult to tell exactly where the law in Texas stood at the moment Bettone was stopped. Either abortion is banned at the moment of conception or after a fetal heartbeat can be heard, at about six weeks. Either way, Ms. Bettone is arguing that her unborn child is a life for purposes of Texas traffic laws. She says she will fight the citation, so it will be interesting to see what happens in court, especially if the prosecutor simply drops the charge, as the officer suggested. What do you think of Ms. Bettone’s argument? Should pregnant women be allowed to use the HOV lanes?
