In response, a group of conservative Texas legislators have hatched a plan to circumvent those local district attorneys: allow prosecutors from other parts of the state to enforce the laws for them.

“The legislation that we will introduce next session will empower district attorneys from throughout the state to prosecute abortion-related crimes … when the local district attorney fails or refuses to do so,” wrote Rep. Mayes Middleton, chairman of the Texas Freedom Caucus, in a letter sent last week to a law firm he accused of aiding illegal abortions…

“I don’t want women who live in our community suffering or dying at home because they’re too scared to go to the doctor and get the medical attention that they need,” said Travis County District Attorney José Garza last week in an interview with NPR.

Garza says he sees more pressing issues in his county, which includes Austin, like working to reduce gun violence. “To pool resources away from that work to pursue this kind of political prosecution would destabilize our community and make it less safe,” he said.