Texas OKs Disputed Abortion Legislation

In February, the National Cancer Institute -- the federal government's cancer research organization -- asked more than 100 of the world's experts to review more than 30 studies that have been conducted and attempt to resolve the issue. Their conclusion: Having an abortion "does not increase a woman's subsequent risk of developing breast cancer." The American Medical Assn. has not taken a formal position on the issue, but most large health-care organizations, including the American Cancer Society, agree with that conclusion.

"The American Cancer Society's reputation as a source of information for the public is just critical to our mission. We're not going to mislead people about this," said Mary Coyne, a board member of the society's Texas division. "We spend $100 million a year on research. We know what we're talking about. There is just no research that supports this claim."

Corte, who has a professional background in property management, said he believes that conclusion is "flawed."

"It's not most of the experts. It's some of their experts that make a lot of noise about it," said Elizabeth Graham, associate director of the Texas Right to Life Committee Inc., an antiabortion group. "If women are going to make the decisions, that's fine. Our goal is to help them make an informed decision."

Women, Corte said, "need to be aware that it's still disputed."

The trouble is, among the vast majority of physicians, it's not disputed, said Dr. Bernard Rosenfeld, a Houston physician who performs abortions.

"There is absolutely no medical validity to this," Rosenfeld said Wednesday night. "Nobody seriously believes this."

Carol J. Stahl, an Amarillo resident who sits on Planned Parenthood's board of directors, said proponents of the bill are well aware that the medical community has settled the issue.

"They must be extremely cynical people to refuse to accept facts and to depend on scaring people to pass their agenda," she said.

In Texas, the abortion bill has been around in one form or another for 10 years. For the last six years, Corte couldn't even get it out of committee. This year, it has sailed through the Legislature -- and has become a symbol of change in Austin, where Republicans hold the governor's mansion and control the state House and Senate simultaneously for the first time in 130 years.

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