A ‘real opportunity’ to protect lives | One News Now

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By: Charlie Butts

The state’s legislature just recently launched its 20-week biennial session with the introduction of a trigger law titled the Human Life Protection Act of 2021 that would completely ban abortion in Texas if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its 1973 precedent.

“That means if the Supreme Court takes some cases that are before them now and rules to allow states to truly protect unborn babies throughout pregnancy in a matter of months, Texas could have a complete ban on abortion,” explains Joe Pojman of the Texas Alliance for Life.

Considering the fact that the state has a recorded 60,000 abortions a year, the law could save many lives.

“Those numbers are way down from previous years, but still, we have an opportunity now to protect tens of thousands of lives every year from the tragedy of abortion,” Pojman says, noting that the mothers and the families are included in that. “This is a real opportunity to do what the pro-life movement has dreamed about for many years.”

If the nation’s high court does overturn or significantly alter Roe v. Wade, Texas would become the 11th state with a trigger law banning abortion ready to go into effect. Arkansas, which passed a trigger law two years ago, is in the process of going even a step further: declaring abortion outright illegal.

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 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 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.

The Texas Lege Always Debates Abortion. This Year It Will Do So With More Vigor. | Texas Monthly

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By: Andrew Zelinski

It certainly felt that way on Saturday, when hundreds of “right to life” proponents gathered outside the Capitol for a protest marking the forty-eighth anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Some joined a of honking vehicles proceeding down Congress Avenue and held signs through open sunroofs, while others congregated on the sidewalk and chanted slogans including “Hey-hey, ho-ho, Roe v. Wade has got to go.” In the crowd, a pair of middle-school girls jointly yelled “Abortion is murder!” and waved signs at passing drivers, jumping around as if they were at a Justin Bieber concert.

Some ardent anti-abortion advocates, such as Joe Pojman, who helped organize the rally and leads the nonprofit Texas Alliance for Life, are not convinced that the U.S. Supreme Court has shifted enough ideologically to overturn Roe, but they’d still be happy if the high court unravels the precedent a little. “We don’t think it’s likely the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade in total anytime soon,” said Pojman. “We’re not sure that the court is ready.” He wants state lawmakers to prepare for the moment it is.

Waco: Pro-Life rally held outside Planned Parenthood | KWTX Waco

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By: Alex Gibbs

This weekend, to accommodate for COVID, pro-life leaders across the state held revamped rallies for the annual ‘Texas Rally for Life’ in various cities including Waco.

Even during a pandemic, John Pisciotta and dozens won’t give up the fight against abortion and Planned Parenthood.

‘Texas Rally for Life’ caravan draws hundreds to state Capitol in Austin | KXAN News

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By: Russell Falcon

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Hundreds showed up to participate in the 2021 Texas Rally for Life caravan on Saturday, to protest the legality of abortion in the United States.

Some Central Texans joined the of drivers going around the Texas State Capitol, honking their horns and displaying signs on their vehicles. Others gathered in front of Capitol grounds with signs that read “Abolish Abortion” and “We are the pro-life generation.”