“Every constitutional right is now at risk”: Legal experts warn Supreme Court action on Texas abortion law could lead to copycats | Texas Tribune

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By: JAMES BARRAGÁN AND CASSANDRA POLLOCK

Still, even some groups aligned with the anti-abortion movement say they have concerns about the enforcement mechanism in the state’s law. Joe Pojman, executive director for Texas Alliance for Life, said the group — which is “very pleased with the effect of the law” — does have concerns that its enforcement mechanism could be used in future state laws that could involve the First Amendment.

“Because some state might try to pass a law that … might create a right for private citizens to sue anyone who talks to a woman entering an abortion facility,” he said. “That’s a frightening prospect to us. I don’t know of any state that’s considering it. But it seems like that would be possible if this type of citizen enforcement is allowed to continue.”

Why “heartbeat bill” is a misleading name for Texas’ near-total abortion ban | The Texas Tribune

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By: BETHANY IRVINE

Anti-abortion groups and conservative leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott, have seized on the the imagery of a heartbeat when describing the law.

In a tweet, Texas Alliance for Life, an anti-abortion group based in Austin, posted a photo of its members with Abbott from the bill signing, holding up both hands to create a symbolic heart.

“Despite numerous legal challenges, The Texas Heartbeat Act, signed by pro-life @GovAbbott, went into effect today. We celebrate the lives of unborn children who will be protected from abortion as a result,” the tweet said.

Former state Rep. John Wray vying for old seat in Tuesday special election | Texas Tribune

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By: PATRICK SVITEK

In a sign of the desire by Wray’s side to distinguish him as the frontrunner, the pro-Wray Texas Alliance for Life has sent out a mailer comparing Wray to a scrum of faceless competitors. The mailer suggests his opponents jumped in the race “at the last minute” to create confusion and cause a runoff that would not fill the seat until after the special session, comparing the alleged obstruction to that of the quorum-breaking House Democrats. The mailer has especially miffed supporters of Harrison, who did not enter the race at the 11th hour but a few days before the filing deadline.

Texas can ban common abortion procedure in second trimester, appeals court rules | Texas Tribune

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By: SHANNON NAJMABADI

Joe Pojman, executive director of Texas Alliance for Life, an anti-abortion group said he’s hopeful the Supreme Court will finish the job of fully banning abortions.

“While the goal of the pro-life movement remains the complete protection of all unborn babies from abortion, the terrible Supreme Court precedent under Roe v. Wade prevents this,” he said. “Our hope is that the Court will modify or reverse Roe and allow states to ban abortion.”

Republican lawmakers push to make Texas’ anti-abortion laws among the most restrictive in the nation | Texas Tribune

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By: SHANNON NAJMABADI

And on Jan. 22 — 48 years after the landmark Roe v. Wade decision — two “trigger” bills were filed that would ban abortion in Texas if the Supreme Court overturned the case or otherwise altered abortion laws. Another bill could ban abortion after 12 weeks.

“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are at the very center of what it means to be an American,” state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, one of the bill authors, said in a statement. “I believe there always has been and always will be energy from Texans to promote and protect life.”

Advocates of abortion rights fear the tone already set augurs a fierce fight about the procedure during a time when the pandemic has limited the public’s ability to voice concerns within the Capitol.
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Joe Pojman, who leads another anti-abortion group called Texas Alliance for Life, is more reticent to pass laws that would be blocked by the courts and not enforced. Legal losses can also empower advocates of abortion access and can be costly. When the Supreme Court ruled against Texas’ attempt to impose additional regulations on abortion providers in 2016, the state was ordered to pay more than $2 million.

Pojman thinks the odds that anti-abortion bills gain traction are “substantially higher” this year than in the 2019 legislative session, which focused on bread-and-butter issues like school finance and property taxes — and came just months after Democrats picked up a dozen House seats in the Nov. 2018 elections.