It’s common knowledge around the Texas Capitol that the two major pro-life organizations have differing tactics and approaches to advocating legislation that saves pre-born human beings.
For Texas Alliance of Life, which works on building alliances with the centrist leaders of each chamber, the 2019 legislative session was a success on many fronts. We quote their recent session recap below:
Texas Alliance for Life is pleased that, under the leadership of Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Speaker Dennis Bonnen, the Texas Legislature had another successful session. Highlights of the 20-week session, ending on Memorial Day, include the passage of HB 16, the Texas Born-Alive Infant Protection Act, SB 22 to protect taxpayers by defunding Planned Parenthood at the local level and a biennial budget that doubled funding for the State’s highly successful Alternatives to Abortion program. We are also delighted, that the Legislature passed SB 24 to ensure women receive information on alternatives to abortion at abortion facilities. Additionally, we strongly supported HB 902 to increase penalties for assaulting a pregnant woman, which also passed. We are very pleased with the gains made. This was another successful session for mothers, unborn children, and vulnerable patients. Several potentially harmful bills were defeated, including SB 150, a New York-style abortion-rights bill; HB 4082, a dangerous election bill; and SB 2089, a bill that would force physicians and nurses to perform painful, medically inappropriate interventions indefinitely on terminally ill patients. Lastly, we regret that the Trigger Ban, HB 2350 and SB 2160, to completely ban abortion when the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade did not pass. That is a new idea for Texas, and new ideas frequently take multiple sessions to pass. The ban on wrongful birth lawsuits, HB 4199, also failed to pass.
Texas Right to Life, more prone to lock horns with the establishment (though always strategic and stopping short of advocating legislation that would never survive a court challenge — in other words, not Abolish Human Abortion) also praised the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Providers Act (SB 22) and funding for the Texas Alternatives for Abortion program. However, this statewide pro-life advocacy group was quick to point out the session’s failures as well as alleged cosmetic victories. We quote a May 27 news release below:
Life-related bills that passed that do not stop abortions or euthanasia but will be touted as sensational Pro-Life victories: Pro-Life priorities that were killed: These fumbled opportunities would have saved lives, and the House had the Pro-Life majority to pass them, but lacked the drive, inner fortitude, and moral courage to restore voters’ confidence. Last November, Texas voters told House Republicans they were losing faith in them. During this 86th Legislature, House Republican leaders dropped the ball on Life and achieved little to earn voters’ trust.