Texas’ Abortion Law Shows How Much Laws Differ By State

Texas is the only state that has imposed an abortion law as early as 6 weeks into the pregnancy. Clinics in Texas are concerned and say this is causing women to attempt abortions at home. In total, 16 states have attempted to ban abortion before viability, but none other than Texas have been successful. Abortion laws aren’t the only laws that differ between states, either, so should a uniform approach be adopted across the country?

Why do state laws differ so much? 

Federal laws apply across the whole of the U.S. and include things such as immigration law and copyright law. Each state operates in its own right and introduces laws that are best suited to its inhabitants. Things such as the size of the state, its location, resources, and wealth are all considered, as well as other factors. There may even be local laws in each state which apply directly to specific towns and cities. One example of how laws differ greatly is rental laws. Arkansas ranks poorly for tenants as, if a renter accidentally leaves behind a possession, it automatically becomes the landlord. Whereas, in Vermont, renters get 60 days to collect their belongings from their landlord, who must safely look after them at this time. 

Common laws which are different

As a general rule, there are 5 areas of the law that differ greatly between states. These are child custody laws, gun control laws, motor carrier laws, marriage licensing laws, and business laws. One crucial business law relates to worker injuries and compensation. The only state that allows private businesses to opt-out of providing workers’ compensation is Texas. Public businesses, as well as building contractors, must provide compensation. It can be a tricky area of the law, so a workmans comp lawyer usually gets involved. Recent news reveals workers’ compensation isn’t always fair as female workers are more likely to get higher amounts of workers’ compensation if they see a female doctor. 

State law controversy

Federal law states same-sex marriage is legal, but states including Indiana and Florida have banned it. In Florida, there is still a ban in place which describes marriage as “only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.” Florida can’t enforce this rule because of federal law, but they continue to stand by it. Another unpopular law that’s in place in some states and not others is sports betting. 80% of the public are in favor of it, and states are allowed to legalize it. True Jersey reports that 23 states still haven’t legalized sports betting. Some of them are reportedly considering it, including Arkansas, North Dakota, and Ohio. Kentucky has also just revealed that they’ve followed up on a dropped 2020 bill, in a bid to allow sports betting in the state for the first time. 

The laws in each state can be very different from the laws in neighboring states. While it can be confusing and frustrating to not have a set of uniform laws, these laws have been designed in the interest of every state’s residents.

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