A Rift in Texas’s Anti-abortion Movement | The Progressive

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By: James Jeffrey

Despite the public rift, those involved in the anti-abortion movement remain confident it will not be impeded in the long-term.

“The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops has proved itself one of the most effective organisation at promoting pro-life legislation,” says Joe Pojman, executive director of Texas Alliance for Life, a pro-life organization that works closely with the Catholic Church. “The pro-life position will continue to make gains in the Legislature.”

Pojman argues that if the U.S. Supreme Court allows states to decide on abortion, there is enough political muscle to pass a ban in Texas.

“Texas has a very strong Republican party and an electorate that supports it and is pro-life, which has been decades in the making,” he says. “Thirty years ago, it was very different.”

Catholic Church cuts ties with Texas’s largest pro-life group | France 24

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By: James JEFFREY

“The Catholic Church does not tell people which candidates or political parties they should support,” Osman says. “The bishops encourage Catholics to form their consciences in accord with Catholic teaching and then use their prudential judgement to engage in the body politic and make sound moral decisions.”

Anti-abortion momentum will continue

Texas’s Governor Gregory Wayne who is Catholic has said he will keep Texas the most pro-life state in America.

“The pro-life position will continue to make gains in the Legislature,” Pojman says, adding that due to the strength of pro-life Republican politicians there, if the US Supreme Court passes a resolution allowing states to decide on abortion there is enough political muscle to ban abortion in Texas.

“Why is Texas so prominent in the anti-abortion movement? I wish I knew and could then bottle it up and sell it to the rest of the country,” Pojman says.

Texas Bishops Raise Concerns About State Pro-Life Group | National Catholic Register

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By: Posted by CNA

Joe Pojman of the Texas Alliance for Life in Austin told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that “some of [Texas Right to Life’s] goals are not well-founded in law.”

The group has come under criticism from others who claim that even pro-life legislators face reprisal from Texas Right to Life if they vote contrary to the group’s recommendations.

Republican Kyleen Wright, president of Texans for Life, told the Star-Telegram, “I thought our pro-life lawmakers would need protection from abortion-minded people. But no — we have to protect them from Texas Right to Life saying they’re not pro-life enough.”

Business Republicans are speaking up | Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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By: Star-Telegram Editorial Board

Empower Texans got down and dirty as its backers attempted to unseat Texas House Republicans Charlie Geren of Fort Worth and Giovanni Capriglione of Southlake. They launched attack ads that attempted to deceive voters about Geren’s ties to a lobbyist — his wife — and wrongly claimed Capriglione was not strongly anti-abortion.

An anti-abortion group, Texas Alliance for Life, defended Capriglione. Then the candidate outed Empower Texans in a letter to voters saying: “When I was first elected my opponent’s funding source would send me an email each day telling me how to vote. I refused to simply ‘go along to get along’ and follow their directives.”

What We’re Watching in the 2018 Texas Primaries | Texas Observer

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By: Texas Observer Staff

The longtime feud brewing among anti-abortion advocates is coming to a head this primary cycle. Last month, the Texas Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a “parish advisory” against the far-right Texas Right to Life, calling the group’s scoring of lawmakers unfair. While the bishops favor the more incremental approach deployed by Texas Alliance for Life, the House Freedom Caucus-aligned Texas Right to Life has taken to attacking any incumbent that does not vote for even the most extreme anti-abortion measures.
. . .
The anti-abortion infighting is particularly apparent in the race for Senate District 2 in Northeast Texas, where Representative Cindy Burkett is challenging Senator Bob Hall. Burkett, who sponsored the sweeping anti-abortion bill that passed this session, has a 100 percent rating from Texas Alliance for Life, which calls her a “pro-life champion.”

Rep. Raney defends pro-life record after anti-abortion group endorses primary challenger | Bryan-College Station Eagle

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By: CAITLIN CLARK

Texas Right to Life has criticized Raney’s vote against a failed amendment to SB 8 that would have that would have eliminated a woman’s right to have an abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy if it was determined that the fetus had severe abnormalities. Raney said the “very dangerous amendment” was unconstitutional and could have put the entire bill at jeopardy. Texas Alliance for Life, another anti-abortion group backing Raney, also defended the vote in an email sent via Raney’s campaign, saying the measure had “no chances of surviving a federal court challenge” and would have “saved no lives from abortion.”