By: Lindsey Ragas
We reached out to those for and against abortion.
“It’s a big victory for the pro-life side. It’s a big victory for the Texas Heartbeat Act. It means that this law is essentially going to be in effect indefinitely unless some other challenges comes,” Joe Pojman, Executive Director of Texas Alliance for Life.
We did not hear back from pro-choice organizations by the deadline.
By: Melanie Torre
Meanwhile, opponents of abortion access are hoping to achieve the opposite.
“We’re putting a lot of hope in an entirely separate law and a separate court case,” said Joe Pojman, executive director of Texas Alliance for Life. Pojman is talking about is Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization—another case before the U.S. Supreme Court challenging a Mississippi law banning abortion at 15 weeks.
“If they rule to completely overturn Roe v. Wade, or partly overturn it, Texas has another law that the legislature passed and the governor signed last spring,” said Pojman.
Texas’s Human Life Protection Act would be triggered into effect in the event Roe v. Wade is overturned. The act would close the six-week window currently part of the state’s SB 8 and essentially outlaw any abortion procedure.
By: Gabriela Vidal
AUSTIN, Texas — Six pieces of anti-abortion legislation in Texas has officially crossed a major hurdle in the path to becoming law.
“I think a compassionate society, really wants to protect both the mother and the unborn child, and I think the Texas Senate has done that today,” said Joe Pojman.
Pojman is the Executive Director of the Texas Alliance for Life, a statewide pro-life non-profit organization advocating for anti-abortion measures like the ones passed by senate leaders on Tuesday.
“Our society is better than abortion,” said Pojman.
While Texas House leaders must still vote on these bills before reaching Governor Greg Abbott’s desk, a number of pro-choice organizations are already sounding off. Concerns particularly center around SB-8, the bill that would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which could mean as early as six weeks following conception.
In a press release, Avow Texas, a pro-choice advocacy non-profit said in part:
Let’s be clear, SB 8 is the most dangerous six-week abortion ban this country has seen. Not only is this bill a complete ban on abortion, but it also is a backdoor attempt to intimidate and harass doctors and patients by creating a way for frivolous and harassing civil lawsuits to be filed. That means any person or any organization with an anti-abortion agenda could sue a patient, doctor, or advocacy organization under this bill.
The legislation does not have exceptions for victims of rape or incest. Only women with life threatening medical conditions could get an abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected.
Pojman says supports the legislation as it is written.
“Rape is an absolutely terrible thing, but the unborn child is an innocent victim and that child should not have to pay the price for the father,” said Pojman.
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.
By: Bettie Cross
The 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade brought protestors and a caravan of cars to the Texas Capitol on Saturday.
A long line of cars inched their way up Congress Avenue with horns and shouts making the pro-life message clear. The caravan circled downtown Austin to kick off the Texas Rally for Life. Before the drivers made a lap, others gathered at the Texas Capitol to denounce the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in the United States.
“We are hopeful, but we are not certain that the Supreme Court may be willing to take a fresh look at Roe unencumbered by precedent and give our legislators more latitude to protect unborn children before viability,” said Dr. Joe Pojman, Founder of Texas Alliance for Life.
Pro-life advocates called on the Texas Legislature to be ready for possible abortion rights changes. They say that includes passing the Human Life Protection Act.
“When Roe is overturned, and I believe Roe will be overturned very soon, as soon as that happens innocent children are protected in the womb immediately as soon as that happens. That’s what the Human Life Protection Act will do,” said Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood Director.
“After a very tough week, the new TX (hash)abortion figures make my day! Down in every category,” Pojman tweeted.