Texas Supreme Court rejects anti-abortion group’s Justice Charter challenge | San Antonio Express News

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By: Molly Smith

“This precedent invites municipalities to disregard well-established election laws regarding charter amendments, protections for unborn babies, and numerous other issues, an unintended but foreseeable consequence,” Texas Alliance for Life spokesperson Amy O’Donnell said in a written statement.

If approved, the Justice Charter, which will appear on the ballot as Proposition A, would amend the city charter to bar police from investigating or making arrests for abortion-related crimes and misdemeanor marijuana possession. It would also expand the city’s cite-and-release program, ban police from using chokeholds and no-knock warrants, and create a city justice director to oversee these policy changes.

City Attorney Andy Segovia, however, maintains that San Antonio could only enforce the justice director provision, calling the others “inconsistent” with state law.

San Antonio abortion vote avoids legal challenge — for now | AXIOS SAN ANTONIO

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By: Megan Stringer

What they’re saying: The Texas Supreme Court’s decision adhered “to our longstanding commitment to avoid undue interference with elections,” Justice Jane Bland wrote.

“Our team spent countless hours on research, we know we are well within our legal right,” organizers behind Proposition A wrote on Twitter after the ruling.
The other side: “We are tremendously disappointed in the Texas Supreme Court’s decision … despite obvious violations of state law,” said Amy O’Donnell, the communications director for Texas Alliance for Life, which sought the legal challenge, in a statement.

San Antonio voters to decide on a measure regarding abortion, marijuana, and police actions | BALLOTPEDIA NEWS

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By: Juan Garcia de Paredes

The Texas Alliance for Life, a nonprofit organization that describes itself as pro-life, sued the San Antonio City Clerk and the San Antonio City Council on Feb. 9, alleging the proposed charter amendment violates the Texas Local Government Code, which prohibits multiple-subject charter amendments. The single-subject rule requires ballot initiatives to address a single subject, topic, or issue. Of the 26 states that provide for citizen-initiated ballot measures, 17 of those states have single-subject rules. While Texas does not provide for statewide citizen initiatives, Texas law requires local charter amendments to include only one subject.

Texas GOP censures U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales for not toeing party line | SAN ANTONIO REPORT

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By: Andrea Drusch

In an effort to highlight issues where he agrees with local Republicans, Gonzales joined the anti-abortion group Alliance for Life at Thursday’s press conference to voice opposition to proposed police reforms expected to appear on San Antonio’s municipal election ballot in May.

“Prop A is going down in flames — it is going to lose,” Gonzales said at the press conference. “… We have an army of conservative warriors that are ready to push back.”

Speaking to reporters after the press conference, Gonzales downplayed the threat of the censure.

“Not everybody likes me. … It’s the way life is,” Gonzales said. “You can’t allow these people that are detractors to prevent you from doing what you want to do, what you need to do, to represent the district, but you do have to take it seriously.”

“Something like this is an opportunity to unite us,” he said, gesturing to the people gathered in opposition of the police reforms charter amendment.

Why anti-abortion opponents could sink San Antonio’s police reform amendment | San Antonio Express News

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By: Molly Smith

Texas Alliance for Life immediately took the matter to the Texas Supreme Court. The group has a powerful ally in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is urging the court to side with them.

It’s a large departure from the scrutiny given to marijuana decriminalization measures passed in other Texas cities, none of which are anywhere close to landing in front of a state court. These measures have proved popular, passing by as much as 85 percent.

“On the abortion question, this is a direct frontal assault to a primary political objective that Republicans have laid out,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston. “It is as bold a political strategy to confront a Republican, conservative policy on abortion as we’ve seen.”

On ExpressNews.com: Anti-abortion group wants to weed out this measure in San Antonio’s Justice Charter amendment

The Justice Charter, also known as Proposition A, is the first citizen-led ballot measure in Texas to attempt to safeguard abortion providers since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down federal abortion protections last summer. It will be a test of the lengths the state’s powerful anti-abortion movement — and possibly Republican lawmakers — will go to prevent cities from making their own rules about abortion.

Judge Dismisses Anti-Abortion Lawsuit | The Dallas Express

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By: Noah DeGarmo

Amy O’Donnell, director of communications for the Texas Alliance for Life, told The Dallas Express, “It is unfortunate that Wendy Davis and the others mentioned in the suit would prefer to take innocent unborn babies’ lives and harm the hearts and potentially the well-being of mothers rather than put their time, energy, and resources toward supporting compassionate alternatives to abortion.”

“We applaud our pro-life legislators and Governor Abbott for prioritizing the care of women and their babies in Texas,” she added.