By: Haajrah Gilani, Staff Writer
“Years ago, people painted this all within one brush,” said Texas Alliance for Life Executive Director Joe Pojman. “But there really is a big difference among groups.”
Pro-life advocacy has long been a staple of the religious right, though the vision for what the movement needs in the future varies. While several anti-abortion bills are expected to die within the session, the differing ideas of pro-life legislators and advocates provide insight into the possible directions the movement could steer toward.
Priorities from notable anti-abortion groups show the contrasts between those visions. While some, like Abolish Abortion Texas, are seeking penalties for abortion recipients, groups like Houston-based Texas Right to Life want to see deeper penalties for those making the abortions possible.
The bill Texas Right to Life is championing is a new iteration of Senate Bill 2880 from the regular session earlier this year; it gained popularity, but died in the House. It was filed by Republican East Texas Sen. Bryan Hughes, who is often recognized for his prominence as an anti-abortion leader. The revived version has not been filed yet.
Senate Bill 2880 was a sweeping attempt to crack down on abortion pills by expanding legal consequences for anyone involved in the production, distribution or mailing of them. It’s become a rallying cry for many on the right following the Roe strike down.
Rashmi Kudesia, a Houston-based obstetrician-gynecologist and infertility specialist, said it was important to note there are many situations where even a desired pregnancy could lead to an individual or couple realizing it wouldn’t be healthy to follow through with having a child.
“If somebody wants to advocate for reducing choice, then they should start by making difficult pregnancies easier to manage,” Kudesia said.
Texas Right to Life sent a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott last month before a special session was announced, urging for one centered around the bill with dozens of signatures, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and state GOP chair Abraham George.
“We have been really trying to lead this campaign of highlighting, ‘Yes, we’ve had huge legal victories that we’ve been working for, but the enemy has come up with new strategies,’” said Texas Right to Life President John Seago. “And one thing that I don’t see from other groups, that I’m very frustrated with, is that their messaging is actually hurting that campaign.”
Focusing on consequences for abortion recipients is where Seago thinks other coalitions get it wrong, pointing to Abolish Abortion Texas. The group is vying for Republican Brent Money of Greenville’s House Bill 163 (previously House Bill 2197), which includes granting “preborn children” the same criminal and civil laws that protect living human beings.
“They’re talking about criminalizing more people, criminalizing different types of people in different situations. That is not the solution,” Seago said. “The solution is to go after those that are distributing, making and distributing the pills.”
Abolish Abortion Texas said the only legislation it will be supporting at this point in the special session is House Bill 163.
“No other proposal would truly abolish abortion in the state,” the organization’s president Bradley Pierce wrote in an email.
While Senate Bill 2880 received significant traction, Pierce said his organization doesn’t believe it would impact the flow of abortion-inducing drugs in Texas and “would leave pregnant women vulnerable to coercion.”
Texas Alliance for Life spoke against House Bill 2197 during the regular session, encouraging its supporters to call their local representatives and oppose the measure, and Pojman said there was also a meeting with Money early in the session to voice opposition.
“Texas Alliance for Life is of the opinion that a woman with an unplanned pregnancy deserves information about compassionate alternatives to abortion,” Pojman said. “Not the threat of jail time and a possible death penalty.”