FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, December 10th, 2021
Contact: Heather Cirmo
[email protected]
Law remains in effect, continuing to save lives in Texas
DALLAS, December 10, 2021 — Human Coalition Action today applauds the U.S. Supreme Court for allowing SB 8, the Texas Heartbeat Act, to continue protecting preborn children. The law prohibits abortions in the state after detection of a baby’s heartbeat, typically between five to eight weeks into pregnancy, and is enforced through private civil lawsuits.
The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the Biden administration cannot stop the law from being enforced. The Court did allow some lawsuits by abortion providers to proceed against certain state officials, but the law still remains in effect.
“The Supreme Court’s principled decision today directly results in saving more preborn human lives,” said Human Coalition Action Texas Legislative Director Chelsey Youman, who testified before both the Texas State House and Senate on behalf of the Heartbeat Act and worked for its passage. “The decision today will allow civil lawsuits over illegal abortions to continue. Texas abortion providers will have to defend themselves in court like any other citizen accused of breaking the law.”
“The people of Texas supported this law to protect vulnerable preborn children. Data showed that the number of abortions in Texas dropped by half after the law went into effect in September. We expect this law to continue saving lives, while litigation continues under this decision.
“Organizations like Human Coalition exist to serve and empower these women to carry their children to term and support them after their children are born. And Human Coalition Action will not rest as we continue to advocate for women facing unexpected pregnancies. The state of Texas created a safety net precisely for occasions such as this one, through its Alternatives to Abortion (“A2A”) program. Last session, the Texas Legislature expanded the program to receive $100 million over two years and extended Medicaid coverage for pregnant and postpartum mothers to six months. Human Coalition is one of 2,700 nonprofits working to provide permanent support for expectant mothers.
“We look forward with great anticipation to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which presents the greatest opportunity in 30 years to overturn erroneous abortion precedent. We are hopeful that the Court will correctly apply the Constitution, sending the issue of abortion back to the states where Texas stands ready to respect life from the moment of conception until natural death.”
About Human Coalition Action
Human Coalition Action is a public policy advocacy organization, advocating for preborn children by assisting governing officials in advancing pro-life policies, informing voters about pro-life candidates, and supporting pro-life legal arguments in the Courts.
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