Texas bishops tell parishes to cut ties with pro-life group | Crux

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By: Charles Collins, Managing Editor

The bishops said the other two organizations are “consistent with the bishops’ positions” on life issues.

“Texas Alliance for Life and Texans for Life Coalition work very well together with the Catholic bishops, and it is our goal to have all the groups working together,” said Joe Pojman, the Executive Director of Texas Alliance for Life.

“Texas Right to Life do not have the same vision and they tend to not work with the Texas bishops on pro-life issues and with Texas Alliance for Life and Texans for Life Coalition, and that’s very unfortunate,” he told Crux. “We have an obligation to pool all our resources, because the abortion industry, which is very powerful in Texas and across the country including Planned Parenthood have vast resources and I think we have an obligation to pool ours to counter that, but unfortunately it’s not worked out very well.”

Pojman said his organization is non-sectarian but is happy to work with the Texas Catholic Conference because it is “the most effective pro-life organization in the Texas legislature.”

“Texas has done so much to protect unborn babies and their mothers from abortion, provide compassionate alternatives to abortion, and especially to protect patients at the end of life from euthanasia. That would not have been possible without the leadership and the resources that the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops,” Pojman said.

Catholic bishops sever ties to Texas Right to Life, exposing rift

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By: Chuck Lindell

According to a written directive, Texas Right to Life has engaged in misleading attacks against political candidates, lied about the Catholic Church’s position on legislation at the state Capitol and opposed church-supported bills by arguing that they don’t go far enough to limit abortions.
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“This is really big,” Wright said. “It’s very, very unfortunate that it came to this. But for our organization, and me personally, to be maligned and slandered for several years, and for our candidates and people who work in good faith to advance good policy down in Austin to be unfairly and maliciously attacked, that hasn’t been good for our movement, either.
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The directive also encouraged Catholics to remain active in opposing abortion and endorsed participation in Texans for Life Alliance, Texas Alliance for Life and “pro-life groups which engage in respectful legislative advocacy.”

Beilue: Empower Texans — It’s like a season of ‘House of Cards’ | Amarillo Glob-News

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By: JON MARK BEILUE

Because of that, Price in this current primary campaign has been criticized in mailers and on social media by Texas Right To Life as “voting to continue to abort babies.” It’s laughably absurd.

“There are always set-up votes typically on the budget and bills like this — hot-button, red-meat topics — that get these crazy amendments,” Price said. “You take a principled vote and you know it’s going to cause you headaches, but you do it because you know it’s right. You can see them from a mile away.”

Odd that Price would find himself defending his pro-life stance. He had scored 90 percent and 100 percent in the last two sessions with that group. Another pro-life and less extremist group, Texas Alliance for Life, endorses Price, saying “to call Four Price anything but pro-life is dishonest and false.”

Texas House candidate says probation for pipe bomb stems from blowing up tree stumps

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By: Patrick Svitek

The primary challenger to state Rep. J.D. Sheffield, R-Gatesville, pleaded guilty in 2001 to making a pipe bomb — but he says he meant no harm and wants to change the laws that led to his legal troubles.

“Growing up, I blew up tree stumps recreationally,” Sheffield’s opponent, Chris Evans, said in a statement Thursday to the Tribune that also included a promise to voters in House District 59. “After I become a legislator, I’m going to get rid of dumb laws that hassle country kids who aren’t hurting anyone.”

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In November, Evans won the endorsement of the anti-abortion group Texas Right to Life, which has long been sharply critical of Sheffield. (Two other anti-abortion groups – Texas Alliance for Life and Life PAC, the political arm of the Texans for Life Coalition – have endorsed Sheffield.) Evans’ campaign began ramping up last month, when he announced he was bringing on board two new staffers.

First elected in 2012, Sheffield has previously fended off challengers from his right. He defeated his 2016 primary opponent, Brent Graves, by 23 percentage points.

Taylor unveils ethics reform package | Houston Chronicle

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By: Bobby Cervantes

The dark money issue came up briefly when Joe Pojman, executive director of the anti-abortion group Texas Alliance for Life, urged legislators to require the disclosure of anonymous donors. “Some of these elections are decided by 30 votes or fewer. It makes a big difference,” Pojman said. “Expenditures are reported, but the donors are not. That’s a lack of transparency. That undermines confidence in the election process and in the elected officials who benefit from those ads.”