By: Tristan Ascenzo
One month ago, in Texas, a woman named Brandy Bottone refused to pay a HOV lane ticket because she believed that her unborn baby counted as a passenger.
Part of her argument involved the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade. This means your state now has the right to decide whether to allow abortion or not. Since in Texas they don’t allow it, Bottone feels that her baby counts as a person. She thought she had a case worthy enough to fight for.
When the officer came to her car, Bottone felt confident that she had enough passengers to use the HOV lane. She pointed to her stomach and said, “My baby girl is right here, she is a person.” Bottone feels strongly about this for many reasons.
The Penal code in Texas states that a fetus is a human being, but no transportation laws agree with this. Many people, including Bottone, think the laws should be the consistent.
Bottone is willing to go the distance to prove her point over a $215 ticket. She has already made news and is planning to go to court.