Uber and Lyft pledge to pay the legal fees of any drivers that may be sued by a Texas law restricting access to abortion clinics for pregnant women after six weeks gestation.
After the Supreme Court did not take any action to stop it, SB 8 went into effect Wednesday. It targets anyone who "aids or abets" abortions after six weeks. This includes doctors, benefactors who pay for the procedure and those who drive the patient to the clinic. The ban cannot be enforced by the government, but can only be enforced through lawsuits brought by the public. Even if they lose, those who file a lawsuit are protected. Defendants will also have to pay $10,000 per abortion.
Advocates worry that the law could have a chilling impact on service providers, who may be afraid to get sued. Logan Green, Lyft CEO and cofounder, tweeted Friday that the company would pay "100%" of legal fees for drivers who are sued under SB8 for driving on [the] platform." He pledged $1 million to Planned Parenthood, and called the law an attack on women's right.
