NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (Reuters) – A Texas legislator has
proposed that pregnant women considering abortion be offered
$500 not to end their pregnancies.

Republican State Sen. Dan Patrick, who also is a
conservative radio talk show host, said on Friday the money
might convince the women to go ahead and have babies, then give
them up for adoption.

He said during a legislative conference in New Braunfels,
45 miles south of Austin, there were 75,000 abortions in Texas
last year.

"If this incentive would give pause and change the mind of
5 percent of those woman, that's 3,000 lives. That's almost as
many people as we've lost in

Iraq," Patrick said.

Patrick has filed legislation to make the payment state
law, but the legislature has not yet voted on it.

His proposal calls for giving any woman going to an
abortion clinic the $500 option, to be paid no more than 30
days after the baby is born and given up for adoption.

Cost of raising a baby: $430,470 – $511,954
Cost of raising a baby in Texas if this passes: $500 less than that (not sure if it's tax-free, though)
Image of a "saved" baby who learns 18 years later that she lived because mama got paid off on the cheap: Scary
Value of once again pointing the finger at the back-assedness of a state that thinks it shouldn't be messed with, it's so fantastic: Priceless.