Ride-hailing giants Lyft and Uber said they will cover the legal fees of their drivers sued under the restrictive new abortion law that went into effect in Texas this week.
The new law bans most abortions in the state after about six weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest. It allows US citizens to bring a civil lawsuit against abortion providers and to collect up to $10,000 in damages plus legal costs per abortion challenged successfully. Suits can also be brought against anyone who assists in the abortion, including family members, doctors, and drivers who transport pregnant women to hospitals or clinics with knowledge of their intentions.
In addition to covering all legal fees for drivers sued under the new law while driving on the platform, Lyft said it is donating $1 million to Planned Parenthood “to help ensure that transportation is never a barrier to healthcare access.”
Lyft CEO Logan Green tweeted:
About an hour later, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi responded to Green’s tweet.
Both CEOs are in the minority. While leaders have become increasingly comfortable weighing in on social issues from Black Lives Matter to LGBTQ rights, they have been largely silent about Texas’s new law.