What Texas women would say to the other side on abortion

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By: BeLynn Hollers

Rhonda Kay Moreland
Board member of Texas Alliance for Life and chairman of the board of directors of BirthChoice Dallas Pregnancy Center

Q1: I think the very first thing that I want every woman to know is that I come from a place of love and non-judgment. And that I’m here to have a conversation and I’m trying to empower women, to understand what I’ve learned about what I understand is the truth of life. And I think that there’s no judgement to anybody who’s had an abortion. We all have a story, we all have a past, but our past doesn’t define us. And so I’m in the movement as much for the women as I am for the babies.

Q2: If I could do something with somebody who thinks opposite than me on the abortion issue, it would be connecting women towards resources for help. I think that is probably a great starting point, is just connecting women with assistance in all aspects of their life.

Texas conservatives praise SCOTUS decision on Senate Bill 8 as abortion rights groups condemn ruling | Dallas Morning News

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By: Emily Caldwell and BeLynn Hollers

In a statement by Texas Alliance for Life, the organization notes that “neither the United States Supreme Court nor the state district court considered the constitutionality of a pre-viability abortion ban, only the procedural questions related to the citizen enforcement of SB 8.”

“Regardless of whether the courts allow that law to continue, we hope the Supreme Court will reverse the terrible Roe v. Wade precedent so states can completely protect unborn babies from the tragedy of abortion. That could happen by next June when the Court rules on the Dobbs case, whose oral arguments they heard last week,” executive director Joe Pojman said.

Arguments in Mississippi abortion case draw hundreds to Supreme Court, reactions from Texas leaders | Dallas Morning News

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By: Emily Caldwell

Joe Pojman, executive director of Texas Alliance for Life, was outside the court Wednesday morning and said he was excited to see both younger and more female anti-abortion demonstrators.

“From our side, I was quite impressed and heartened to see a fewer percentage of the people who were people like me, who’ve been involved for decades, older people,” Pojman said. “There’s just a lot of younger people in their 30s and 20s and a lot of college students, and probably more women than men. I was very heartened by all of that.”

Pojman said that from listening to the oral arguments, it seems clear to him that this Mississippi case is not just about a 15-week ban — it’s about whether Roe should stand at all. Pojman said it’s hard to know what the justices are thinking, but that he can imagine a post-Roe future in Texas.

“I can definitely imagine a world in June of 2022, in which five and maybe six [justices] vote to overturn Roe vs. Wade, but I am not certain of that,” Pojman said. “But if that does happen, we have the trigger ban, The Human Life Protection Act, that will be ready to go into effect, and we also have tremendous resources for women with unplanned pregnancies that are available.”

With no Supreme Court ruling Monday, Texas SB 8 abortion restrictions remain in effect | Dallas Morning News

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By: Emily Caldwell

On Dec. 1, the court is set to hear oral arguments on a Mississippi ban on almost all abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy. Arguments in the Mississippi case will likely focus more on fetal viability, as the law poses more of a direct challenge to preestablished standards and is enforced by state officials.

Rulings from the court in both cases — on Texas’ SB 8 and the Mississippi law — are highly anticipated, now that the court has a six-justice conservative supermajority and the numbers to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 landmark stemming from a Dallas woman’s challenge to a Texas abortion ban.

In June, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill, House Bill 1280, into law that would prohibit abortions in Texas if Roe vs. Wade is overturned. Pojman said Texas Alliance for Life and other groups helped craft the law with the Mississippi case in mind.

“That is a law that completely protects unborn babies from abortion, up to the moment of conception, fertilization,” Pojman said. “And it goes into effect when, to the extent, the Supreme Court overturns the terrible Roe vs. Wade precedent.”

Duble said from a political advocacy perspective, Avow is already prepping for the 2022 midterm and statewide elections.

“What we’re doing is gearing up for 2022, where we fully intend to hold the lawmakers who have allowed this trend of anti-abortion restrictions and SB 8 to go into effect,” Duble said. “We plan to hold them accountable.”

Pregnancy centers seek to help Texas women ‘in a rush’ to make decisions about abortion under SB 8 | Dallas Morning News

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By: BeLynn Hollers

Pregnancy resource centers are considered alternative programs to abortion in Texas. Many receive funds from the state. In a interview with The Dallas Morning News last week, Joe Pojman, executive director of Texas Alliance for Life, noted that the Legislature this year increased the state budget for alternative to abortion programs by 25%, to $100 million.

“The goal of that program is to serve 150,000 women every year,” he said. “And the services that they provide to women with unplanned pregnancies continue for three years after the birth of the child.”

Those services include counseling, moral support, maternity clothes, baby clothes and diapers. But Pojman said they also include helping women fight substance abuse, getting out of abusive or sex trafficking situations, and job training.

The Legislature also passed the so-called Human Life Protection Act, a complete ban on abortion, beginning at conception, that would go into effect if the Supreme Court modifies or overturns previous rulings allowing abortion. Gov. Greg Abbott signed that so-called “trigger bill” in June, allowing Texas to join 11 other states with similar laws.