A lot has happened in the political world in the last few weeks. The Republican Party of Texas held its biennial state convention on May 22-25 in San Antonio, TX. Thousands of delegates from across Texas gathered to elect party officers, choose a platform, and select legislative priorities. Texas Alliance for Life had a prominent booth in the exhibitor’s hall. We highlighted the unborn child’s humanity using great models of babies at various stages throughout pregnancy. We also explained how successful the pro-life laws of Texas have been.
Tuesday was the Runoff Election for several races without a clear winner in the March Primary Election.
Highlighting the many wins was the re-election of Speaker Dade Phelan in Beaumont, a pro-life champion who oversaw a 65% increase in funding for alternatives to abortion and the passage of numerous pro-life bills, including the Texas Heartbeat Act and the Human Life Protection Act, which has resulted in reported elective abortions plummeting from thousands per month to zero.
We congratulate the other TAL endorsed candidates who won, including Congressman Tony Gonzales from San Antonio, Craig Goldman in a Tarrant County congressional district, Tom Maynard and Pam Little on the State Board of Education, Brent Hagenbuch in a north Texas state senate seat, and Gary VanDeaver, Trey Wharton, and John McQueeney in state house seats.
Several excellent, endorsed pro-life House members did not prevail. Among the most disappointing was the shocking loss of State Representative Stephanie Klick in Fort Worth, a pro-life champion like none other in the Capitol. The committee she chaired passed numerous substantial pro-life bills that are saving lives today. Unfortunately, the person who prevailed as the Republican nominee supports a radical extremist agenda to prosecute women after abortion, jail time, and even a possible death penalty. Never, in the history of Texas and this nation, have women been put in prison after abortion. That position Texas Alliance for Life and every other mainstream pro-life group strongly opposes.
How can this happen? One explanation is that voter turnout was very, very low. Less than 10% of registered voters turned out, a reminder that your vote makes a difference.
Dr. Joe Pojman is the Executive Director of Texas Alliance for Life.