With legal protections in place for all preborn children from elective abortion, The Lone Star State is already one of the nation's more pro-life states. But pro-lifers see the need to stop illegal abortions, offer real help to pregnant women, and defend vulnerable patients.
So as lawmakers begin their first session since the Roe v. Wade decision was overturned, Texas Right to Life is spearheading a new agenda to protect and affirm life. Spokeswoman Kimberlyn Schwartz says her organization is pursuing four main policies this session.
"The first is to increase funding for the Alternatives to Abortion program," she tells AFN. "We have all of these women now who are choosing life. We've seen a huge uptick in the number of women going into pregnancy centers all across the state, and so we need to make sure that our state dollars are actually going toward life-affirming initiatives."
That includes adoption and foster care programs, ensuring that mothers have medical coverage up to one year after giving birth, removing barriers for pregnant and parenting mothers in schools and workplaces, and reforming the hospital 10-Day Law of the Texas Advance Directives Act.
"It allows hospital committees to decide whether you live or die," Schwartz summarizes. "It places a 10-day countdown on your life; if you don't find a different hospital to take care of you in 10 days, they can take away your life-sustaining treatment, and then you will pass away. You will die."
But as Texas Right to Life pursues these policies, Democrats have already filed several proposals to reverse the pro-life gains Texas has made, including a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a right to abortion up to birth.
