By: Katie Kindelan

Since 2003, Texas has included fetal personhood language in its penal code, which recognizes an unborn child as being an individual “at every stage of gestation.”

Amy O’Donnell, director of communications for Texas Alliance for Life — an organization that supports restrictions to abortion access and supported the law that added fetal personhood language to Texas’s penal code — said that under the code, if a pregnant woman is in a car accident and their unborn child is killed, the death could be prosecutable.

In Bottone’s case of contesting an HOV ticket due to a pregnancy, O’Donnell said that while she recognizes Bottone’s unborn baby as a person, she does not necessarily see it as a second passenger because of the “intent and purpose” of the HOV law in the state’s transportation code.

“Each code covers different areas of the law,” said O’Donnell. “Is it still an unborn baby in both situations, absolutely yes. We recognize that. But the purpose of an HOV lane is to carpool, vanpool or ride-share so does that unborn child currently fit within the realm of the law, not at this point in time in Texas.”

O’Donnell said this case in particular opens the door to what she described as a “slippery slope.”

“If we go down this road, if a passenger in an HOV lane that’s riding in its mother’s womb counts as a separate passenger, what does that mean for other passenger areas such as on plane,” said O’Donnell. “If that pregnant woman gets on a plane and we want to recognize that unborn baby in the womb as a second passenger, does she then have to buy a ticket?”

According to O’Donnell, the purpose of giving personhood to unborn babies in state laws is to “protect unborn babies from injury or homicide.”

“Life begins at conception and a body within a pregnant woman’s body is not that woman’s body,” she said. “It’s a unique being with separate DNA, unique fingerprints and, as such, it is very much a person beginning at conception and worthy of protection.”

Texas is one of around one dozen states in the U.S. that includes fetal personhood language in legislation restricting or banning abortion, according to Dana Sussman, deputy executive director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW), a nonprofit organization that supports abortion rights.

By: Roxie Bustamante

Counter-demonstrators were also present at both of the rallies this Saturday.

Amy O’Donnell with Texas Alliance for Life says members with the organization have been present at similar rallies from the Texas capitol to Washington D.C. O’Donnell said the organization has also been preparing in the event that the Supreme Court final decision is announced in the coming weeks.

“That could happen as early as Monday,” O’Donnell said, “It could happen as late as the end of June and so we recognize we are waiting on a week to week basis but we’re cautiously optimistic.”

By: Roxie Bustamante

Amy O’Donnell with Texas Alliance for Life said if Roe V. Wade is overturned, abortions will effectively become illegal in Texas but there will also be supportive programs to help women through their pregnancy and after birth.

“Texas is ready,” O’Donnell said. “Our legislature has appropriated $100 million towards the alternatives to abortion program that is for the biennium that money goes to pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, adoption agencies that support women up to birth and even up to three years after birth.”

By: Author: Tanvi Varma

AUSTIN, Texas — The leaked Supreme Court draft opinion showing a reversal of the right to abortion has people polarized.

The Texas Alliance for Life is an anti-abortion organization in Austin. Though the potential Supreme Court decision is in its favor, it’s not celebrating yet.

“I had to remind myself specifically that this is a draft, it’s an opinion; it’s not the final,” said Amy O’Donnell with the Texas Alliance for Life.

Meanwhile, they continue their advocacy.

“One of our top priorities right now, especially in light of what we’re seeing in the Supreme Court, is to educate women on the compassionate alternatives to abortion,” said O’Donnell.

By: Tiffany Huertas

“We’re deeply saddened by the actions of that judge. He is blocking a law which is protecting unborn babies from abortion,” said Joe Pojman, executive director of Texas Alliance for Life, an anti-abortion organization.

“We are grateful that the court has finally stepped in to curb some of the harm Texans have faced,” Amy Miller, founder and CEO of Whole Woman’s Health.

Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, released this statement:

“For more than a month now, Texans have been deprived of abortion access because of an unconstitutional law that never should have gone into effect. The relief granted by the court today is overdue, and we are grateful that the Department of Justice moved quickly to seek it. While this fight is far from over, we are hopeful that the court’s order blocking S.B. 8 will allow Texas abortion providers to resume services as soon as possible. Planned Parenthood providers across the country have reported serving Texas patients, who are heartbroken and furious that they’ve needed to leave home for essential health care — often at great expense. Planned Parenthood will continue fighting this ban in court, until we are certain that Texans’ ability to access abortion is protected.”

Amy Hagstrom Miller, the founder of Whole Woman’s Health, which operates four clinics in North, Central and South Texas, explained their plans now that the law has been put on hold.

“We have reopened our schedule to expand beyond that six-week limit in our Texas clinics already. In fact, last night we reached out to some of the patients that we had on a waiting list,” Hagstrom Miller said.

She said since Sept. 1, when the law went into effect, they have turned away hundreds of people.

“We believe it is the responsibility of the government to protect everyone, including the most vulnerable, tiny Texan, the unborn child,” Pojman said.

Pojman said some organizations help women with unplanned pregnancies.

“They will provide a wide range of services from simple things like maternity clothes, baby clothes, diapers, but much more like job skills, helping a woman get out of an abusive situation or even sex trafficking,” Pojman said.

“The state of Texas, unsurprisingly, already put in a notice that they plan to appeal to the 5th Circuit, but no matter what happens in the 5th, for now, this is the justice we have been seeking for weeks,” Hagstrom Miller said.