Published

July 08, 2021

NEWS RELEASE:
Governor Greg Abbott Includes a TAL Top Priority — Chemical Abortion Safety Protocols Legislation — in Special Session Agenda

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2021

CONTACT
Amy O’Donnell, Director of Communications
512.477.1244 (o)
amy@texasallianceforlife.org

AUSTIN, TX — Today begins a special session of the Texas Legislature called by Governor Greg Abbott to address select issues not completed during the regular session that ended in May. Among the 11 issues Governor Abbott has included is legislation that “prohibits people from providing abortion-inducing drugs by mail or delivery service, strengthens the laws applicable to the reporting of abortions and abortion complications, and ensures that no abortion-inducing drugs are provided unless there is voluntary and informed consent.” Already, Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. (D-Brownsville) has filed SB 4 and Rep. Stephanie Klick (R-Fort Worth) has filed HB 6 to address this issue.

“Texas Alliance for Life is elated that pro-life Governor Greg Abbott added chemical abortion safety protocols to the agenda of the special session,” said Dr. Joe Pojman, Executive Director of Texas Alliance for Life. “All major pro-life groups in Texas support including this issue; safety protocols for chemical abortions remains a top priority for Texas Alliance for Life.”

Chemical abortions (also known as RU-486, the abortion pill, or mifepristone abortions) are already the second most common method of abortion (53%) in Texas According to a highly credible study published by ACOG, even under the best circumstances, chemical abortions result in four-times more complications for women than surgical abortions. Should the FDA safety regulations, including a ban on mail-order abortions, be rendered inoperative by a federal court or the Biden-Harris Administration, Texas could see a huge spike in chemical abortions and corresponding complications.

“We believe this legislation is critical in our state to protect the future health and fertility of women, even as we advocate for the protection of unborn lives,” added Pojman. “We cannot emphasize enough how grateful we are for the leadership of Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Speaker Dade Phelan, and pro-life legislators who continue to advance protections for mothers, unborn babies, and vulnerable patients in Texas.”

The special session comes after a sensationally successful regular session with landmark accomplishments. These include the Human Life Protection Act, HB 1280, to completely protect unborn children from abortion beginning at conception, dramatically increased funding for the state’s highly successful Alternatives to Abortion program, and defeated attempts to remove protections from medical torture for terminally ill patients.

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