AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A new study says the 24-hour waiting period for an abortion is causing women excessive hardship.
Democratic State Rep. Jessica Farrar cited the study on Wednesday as grounds to overturn the controversial restrictions imposed in 2011.
Researchers at the University of Texas conducted the study with Ibis Reproductive Health, a Massachusetts research group that favors "women's reproductive autonomy."
They interviewed more than 300 women seeking abortions at clinics in six Texas cities between August and December 2012.
The women reported traveling an average of 42 miles to obtain an abortion. Nearly a third of the women said the waiting period negatively affected their "emotional well-being."
Farrar said she will seek to remove the restrictions, which passed both chambers in 2011 with two-thirds majority support.
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