Published

November 06, 2023

AUSTIN, TX — Today, half of the members of the Texas Legislature took action to defend Texas protective abortion laws against an attack by a New York-based abortion advocacy organization. Ten senators and 80 representatives filed an amicus curiae (“friend-of-the-court”) brief in the Texas Supreme Court in Zurawski v. Texas, a challenge by the Center for Reproductive Rights to the constitutionality of the Human Life Protection Act, the Texas Heartbeat Act, and the pre-Roe abortion laws. The amicus brief supports the constitutionality of the Texas abortion laws.

The Legislators’ brief was written by Texas Alliance for Life’s special counsel, Paul Linton, a nationally recognized expert on state constitutions and abortion. The brief makes the point very clearly that in no way is there a right to abortion in the Texas Constitution.

A list of the legislator amici can be found below.

“We commend our state legislators who have joined the brief in defense of laws that protect mothers and unborn babies from abortion,” said Amy O’Donnell, Texas Alliance for Life’s Communications Director. “The Court should uphold the laws that the Legislature has passed, and protections for unborn babies should continue.”

“This brief counters a very dangerous lawsuit now before the Texas Supreme Court that seeks to significantly expand the reasons to allow abortions in our state, putting the lives of thousands of unborn babies at risk every year,” O’Donnell added.

Texas’ current pro-life laws, including the Human Life Protection Act, have caused reported elective abortions in Texas to plummet from thousands per month to zero, according to reports from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

Nothing in Texas law requires a woman’s death to be imminent or her unborn baby’s heart to stop beating before an abortion can be performed to save a woman’s life. In particular, the Human Life Protection Act, passed by the Legislature as HB 1280 in 2021, completely protects unborn babies from abortion beginning at conception while allowing for abortions performed when in “reasonable medical judgment, the pregnant female . . . has a life-threatening physical condition . . . that places the female at risk of death or poses a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function . . .”

The Texas Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on November 28.

Amici Curiae

Senate

Hon. Brian Birdwell, 22nd District
Hon. Donna Campbell, 25th District
Hon. Brandon Creighton, 4th District
Hon. Kelly Hancock, 9th District
Hon. Phil King, 10th District
Hon. Lois Kolkhorst, 18th District
Hon. Tan Parker, 12th District
Hon. Angela Paxton, 8th District
Hon. Charles Schwertner, 5th District
Hon. Drew Springer, 30th District

House of Representatives

Hon. Steve Allison, 121st District
Hon. Charles (Doc) Anderson, 56th District
Hon. Trent Ashby, 9th District
Hon. Ernest Bailes, 18th District
Hon. Cecil Bell, Jr., 3rd District
Hon. Keith Bell, 4th District
Hon. Greg Bonnen, 24th District
Hon. Brad Buckley, 54th District
Hon. Benjamin Bumgarner, 63rd District
Hon. DeWayne Burns, 58th District
Hon. Dustin Burrows, 83rd District
Hon. Briscoe Cain, 128th District
Hon. Giovanni Capriglione, 98th District
Hon. Travis Clardy, 11th District
Hon. David Cook, 96th District
Hon. Tom Craddick, 82nd District
Hon. Charles Cunningham, 127th District
Hon. Drew Darby, 72nd District
Hon. Jay Dean, 7th District
Hon. Emilio DeAyala, 133rd District
Hon. Mark Dorazio, 122nd District
Hon. James Frank, 69th District
Hon. Frederick Frazier, 61st District
Hon. Gary Gates, 28th District
Hon. Stan Gerdes, 17th District
Hon. Charlie Geren, 99th District
Hon. Craig Goldman, 97th District
Hon. Ryan Guillen, 31st District
Hon. Sam Harless, 126th District
Hon. Caroline Harris, 52nd District
Hon. Cody Harris, 8th District
Hon. Brian Harrison, 10th District
Hon. Richard Hayes, 57th District
Hon. Cole Hefner, 5th District
Hon. Justin Holland, 33rd District
Hon. Lacey Hull, 138th District
Hon. Todd Hunter, 32nd District
Hon. Carrie Isaac, 73rd District
Hon. Jacey Jetton, 26th District
Hon. Kyle Kacal, 12th District
Hon. Ken King, 88th District
Hon. Stephanie Klick, 91st District
Hon. John Kuempel, 44th District
Hon. Stan Lambert, 71st District
Hon. Brooks Landgraf, 81st District
Hon. Jeff Leach, 67th District
Hon. Terri Leo-Wilson, 23rd District
Hon. Janie Lopez, 37th District
Hon. J.M. Lozano, 43rd District
Hon. John Lujan, 118th District
Hon. Will Metcalf, 16th District
Hon. Andrew S. Murr, 53rd District
Hon. Geanie W. Morrison, 30th District
Hon. Candy Noble, 89th District
Hon. Tom Oliverson, 130th District
Hon. Angelia Orr, 13th District
Hon. Jared Patterson, 106th District
Hon. Dennis Paul, 129th District
Hon. Four Price, 87th District
Hon. Glenn Rogers, 60th District
Hon. Matt Schaefer, 6th District
Hon. Nate Schatzline, 93rd District
Hon. Michael Schofield, 132nd District
Hon. Matt Shaheen, 66th District
Hon. Hugh D. Shine, 55th District
Hon. Shelby Slawson, 59th District
Hon. Reggie Smith, 62nd District
Hon. John T. Smithee, 86th District
Hon. David Spiller, 68th District
Hon. Lynn Stucky, 64th District
Hon. Valoree Swanson, 150th District
Hon. Carl H. Tepper, 84th District
Hon. Kronda Thimesch, 65th District
Hon. Ed Thompson, 29th District
Hon. Tony Tinderholt, 94th District
Hon. Steve Toth, 15th District
Hon. Ellen Troxclair, 19th District
Hon. Gary VanDeaver, 1st District
Hon. Cody Vasut, 25th District
Hon. Terry M. Wilson, 20th District

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

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