Life Watch

Current Pro-Life News

July 2024

Supreme Court Dismisses Idaho v United States

In a 6-3 decision issued on June 27, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) dismissed Idaho v United States as improvidently (mistakenly) granted, ruling that it should not have been heard by the court, basically saying they took the case before they should have. SCOTUS agreed to take the case before it was heard by the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals, the court that is one level down.

At issue was whether emergency rooms in Idaho could provide abortions to pregnant women in an emergency. Idaho argued that 2 patients’ interests must be considered, the mother’s and the unborn child’s. All states with bans have exceptions if the mother’s life is in danger.

The Solicitor General for the Biden administration argued that EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act), which requires emergency rooms that receive Medicare funds to provide “necessary stabilizing treatment,” overrides an Idaho law making it a crime to provide an abortion except in a handful of narrow circumstances, including to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest.

The dismissal equates to a win for the Biden administration since the court also lifted the stays that had been in place, allowing emergency abortions, at least for now. The order from the justices leaves in place an order by a federal judge in Idaho

SCOTUS’ ruling on this case leaves in place a January order from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit that reached an opposite conclusion. That court ruled in a similar case that EMTALA does not supersede abortion laws in Texas. The 5th Circuit order will stay in place in Texas until the next Supreme Court term or the next presidency.

Please continue to pray for the Supreme Court that they may always decide in favor of life.

June 2024

SCOTUS Maintains Access to Abortion Pill

On June 13, in a unanimous 9-0 decision, the Supreme Court tossed out an attempt by pro-life doctors and medical groups to challenge the Food and Drug Administration’s expansion of access to mifepristone, one of the two drugs used in chemical abortions. The court held that the plaintiffs did not have standing to bring the suit, meaning that they failed to show that they would be harmed by the FDA’s policies and therefore did not have the legal right to sue.

The ruling means that mifepristone can still be mailed to a patient without seeing a doctor in person, even though the FDA’s own label says that the abortion drugs will send roughly one out of twenty-five women to the emergency room. In over a dozen states including Texas, use of mifepristone for abortion continues to be illegal and mailing these pills to those states is illegal under federal law.

When the Court agreed to deliberate the case, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) asked us to pray for the intercession of St. Joseph, Defender of Life, as the Supreme Court deliberated about the abortion pill. Let us continue to ask the Defender of Life to help us as we work for God’s children. You can find a printable version of the prayer at prolifedallas.org/prayer

May 2024

Texas Supreme Court Unanimously Upholds Abortion Ban

The Texas Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision on Friday, May 31, 2024, to uphold the state’s abortion ban. Twenty-two women, including two OB-GYNs and their patients, had filed the suit, arguing that exceptions to the ban lacked clarity, causing doctors to delay or deny treatment to women experiencing serious pregnancy complications.

Justice Jane Bland, writing the majority opinion, upheld the language in the Texas post-Roe trigger ban that allows doctors to intervene when women are near death. She stated that a “life-threatening condition” is required for an abortion to be authorized.

"Under the Human Life Protection Act, a woman with a life-threatening physical condition and her physician have the legal authority to proceed with an abortion to save the woman’s life or major bodily function, in the exercise of reasonable medical judgment and with the woman’s informed consent."

The Court also reaffirmed their ruling in the case of Kate Cox, a Dallas mother whose baby was diagnosed with full trisomy 18, that Cox’s situation did not meet the conditions required for the exemption while also stating that physicians alone have the discretion to exercise their “reasonable medical judgment” with each unique situation.

"As our Court recently held, the law does not require that a woman’s death be imminent or that she first suffer physical impairment," Bland wrote. "A physician who tells a patient, 'Your life is threatened by a complication that has arisen during your pregnancy, and you may die, or there is a serious risk you will suffer substantial physical impairment unless an abortion is performed,' and in the same breath states 'but the law won’t allow me to provide an abortion in these circumstances' is simply wrong in that legal assessment."

Louisiana First State to Classify Abortion Drugs as Controlled Dangerous Substances

On Friday, May 24, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed a bill to classify the abortion-inducing drugs mifepristone and misoprostol as Schedule IV controlled dangerous substances. Louisiana has the first law of this kind that puts the drugs in the same category as narcotics and anti-depressants.

“Requiring an abortion inducing drug to be obtained with a prescription and criminalizing the use of an abortion drug on an unsuspecting mother is nothing short of common sense,” Landry said. “This bill protects women across Louisiana, and I was proud to sign this bill into law today.”

Taking effect with the governor’s signature, the law makes it a crime to possess the abortion medications without a valid prescription, with a possible felony charge punishable up to 5 years in prison and fines up to $5,000. Pregnant women in possession of mifepristone and misoprostol for their own use are exempt from penalties. Louisiana doctors are also permitted under the law to prescribe the drugs. Giving a woman the drugs without their consent is also a criminal offense.

The bill was sponsored by state Senator Thomas Pressly who said he proposed the legislation after his sister was given misoprostol against her will.

New York Attorney General Sues Heartbeat international

In a May 6 news release, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that she is suing Heartbeat International and 11 pregnancy help centers, accusing them of making “false and misleading statements” about the abortion pill reversal.

According to James, “Abortions cannot be reversed. Any treatments that claim to do so are made without scientific evidence and could be unsafe.” James states that the pregnancy help centers and Heartbeat International “aggressively advertise APR (abortion pill reversal) on their websites, social media, and other promotional materials,” by saying that chemical abortion can be reversed if the APR is taken in time.

A chemical abortion involves a two-pill regime. The pregnant mother first takes mifepristone, which blocks the hormone progesterone, effectively starving the unborn child to death. The second pill, misoprostol, is taken later to induce delivery of the deceased child.

The abortion pill reversal works by replacing the progesterone with repeated doses of progesterone, a hormone bodies naturally produced during pregnancy, to a pregnant woman who has taken mifepristone but has not yet taken misoprostol. The progesterone counters the mifepristone and restores nutrition to the baby.

The Attorney General is asking for an order that will remove “all false and misleading claims in marketing materials and prohibiting further violations” and is also seeking the payment of civil penalties for violations of the law.”

>>Catholic Vote reports: Mom Tells Beautiful Story of How Abortion Pill Reversal Saved Her Baby Girl <<

Planned Parenthood Reports Aborting 392,715 Babies

When Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022, many pro-lifers thought that abortion had ended. After all, Planned Parenthood complained that the Supreme Court decision had abolished abortion rights in America.

Now Planned Parenthood Federation of America has released its 2022-2023 Annual Report, and the numbers are troubling to say the least. (You can access the complete report here)

392,715 - Abortions committed in Planned Parenthood facilities in 2022-2023. Their largest annual total ever.
1,076 abortions were committed by Planned Parenthood every day.
16% of abortion patients traveled out of state for abortions in 2023.
$2.05 billion - the amount of money Planned Parenthood made in 2022-2023.
$699.3 million is the total taxpayer dollars Planned Parenthood received in the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
97.1% of Planned Parenthood’s pregnancy “services” were abortions in 2022-2023. This means that 97% of pregnant mothers who go into a Planned Parenthood, leave without their child.
Planned Parenthood is the second largest provider of sex-altering drugs in America.
For every one adoption referral in 2023, Planned Parenthood committed over 228 abortions.

Since Planned Parenthood does self-reporting, and we have no national abortion reporting law, we don’t know how accurate these numbers are. They are horrifying enough.

April 2024

Dan Patrick Announces List of Top Priorities for 2025 Legislature

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has released a to-do list of 57 items for Texas senators before the next legislative session begins in January 2025. “The priorities of the conservative majority of Texans will be accomplished, including school choice, continued property tax relief, and strengthening the power grid,” said Patrick.

A senate committee has been assigned to study the issues related to housing, including the affordability crisis, homelessness, and methods of providing and financing reasonably priced housing.

Other issues to be addressed are border security, school security and library content policies, workforce productivity and childcare availability for working parents, fighting antisemitism on college campuses, scrutinizing charitable bail organizations, and banning Delta 8 and 9, cannabis-derived products that are legal in Texas because of their low THC content.

Arizona Supreme Court Upholds 1864 Pro-Life Law

Reviewing a law that was passed when Arizona was still a U.S. territory, the court ruled that the statute is now enforceable post-Roe and will be enacted in two weeks, providing protection for almost all unborn children in the state. The law will replace a much weaker existing pro-life law that only protects unborn children after 15 weeks gestation.

The century-and-a-half-old law permits an exception in cases where the mother’s life is at risk. The law also makes it a felony for anyone who “provides, supplies or administers to a pregnant woman, or procures such woman to take any medicine, drugs or substance, or uses or employs any instrument or other means whatever, with intent thereby to procure the miscarriage of such woman, unless it is necessary to save her life,” resulting in a prison sentence between 2-5 years.

The Arizona Attorney General who oversees abortion laws has publicly committed to not enforcing any ban. Her decision, however, can be challenged by county officials.

Pro-abortion groups had been pushing for a ballot measure in November that would enshrine access to abortion in the Arizona state constitution. Enough signatures have been gathered ahead of the July deadline to get the measure included. Speculation is that the issue will drive voters to the polls.

Florida Supreme Court’s Abortion Ruling

Although upholding the state’s 15-week ban, Florida’s Supreme Court also ruled that Floridians can vote in November on an abortion-access amendment. The court stated that the right to privacy included in Florida’s constitution doesn’t include abortion. And they also decided that the Heartbeat Protection Act will go into effect on May 1 and remain in effect unless voters approve Amendment 4 in November. The amendment would protect abortion access until 24 weeks of pregnancy. Pro-lifers are condemning the amendment, saying it is so confusing that voters won’t know what they are supporting.

Arkansas Amendment to Make Abortion a Constitution Right

Yet another state has pro-abortion groups working to place abortion on the November ballot. Arkansans for Limited Government is pushing for the measure to be written into the Arkansas state constitution and for it to prevent the state legislature from restricting abortion during the first five months of pregnancy. The law would allow for thousands of elective abortions every year and lay the groundwork for taxpayer-funded abortions.

Abortion supporters in Arkansas have until July 5 to gather 91,000 petition signatures needed to put their measures on the ballot.

March 2024

France Enshrines Abortion in Constitution

On Monday, March 4, France became the first country in the world to enshrine abortion in their constitution. Although there was no push to outlaw abortion in France, apparently they felt compelled to protect women’s rights by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v Wade. Elective abortions have been legal in France since the 1970s and were recently expanded from 12 weeks up to 16 weeks gestation.

Additional countries will likely follow suit.

State of the Union Vow

During his State of the Union address, President Biden said the following, “I promise you, I will restore Roe v Wade as the law of the land again.”

Please pray for our president and for all our leaders and officials that their eyes are opened to the culture of life, and they turn away from supporting the culture of death.

Pray Three Hail Marys for the Unborn

Please join the Texas Knights of Columbus in daily prayer of Three Hail Marys for the Unborn, storming Heaven in only one minute a day.

1^st Hail Mary – for the Unborn

2^nd Hail Mary – for the moms of the unborn babies, that they allow their children to be born

3^rd Hail Mary – for those in the abortion industry, that they turn from their evil deeds and instead seek the face of God

Planned Parenthood Selling Baby Body Parts Again/Still

On March 5, the Center for Medical Progress disclosed documents “showing Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest’s agreement to supply body parts of aborted children to the University of California San Diego in exchange for ownership to ‘patents’ and ‘intellectual property rights’ conducted by the university with the aborted fetal parts.”

Center for Medical Progress asserts that “transfer of any aborted human fetal tissue for ‘valuable consideration’ is a federal felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to $500,000.” Whether any charges will be brought remains to be seen.

SCOTUS Hears Arguments on Abortion Pill Access

On March 26, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments regarding expanded patient access to the abortion pill after almost a year of litigation.

The appeal was based on the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit which had issued the following:

Banned the mailing of chemical abortion pills;
Reinstated the requirement that only a doctor is allowed to prescribe the pills and that the pills must be picked up in person;
Moves back the gestational age at which a pregnant woman is allowed to take the pill from ten weeks gestation to seven weeks;
Found the FDA’s original approval of generic mifepristone unlawful; and
Reinstated non-fatal adverse event reporting. (The Obama administration changed the reporting to exclude everything but death of the patient.)

For this hearing, the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine argued that they had standing (the authority) to bring the case because “One, the FDA relies on obstetrician hospitalists to care for women harmed by abortion drugs. “Two, the FDA concedes between 2.9 and 4.6 percent of women will end up in the emergency room, and three, the FDA acknowledges that women are even more likely to need surgical intervention and other medical care without an in-person visit.”

On the opposing side, the Solicitor General countered that only a small number of women have serious complications, and doctors would have federal conscience protections.

A representative for the Alliance issued the following statement: “Per the FDA’s own label, approximately 1 in 25 women who take the abortion drugs will end up in the emergency room seeking emergency care. We are simply asking the Supreme Court to make the FDA do its job and put back into place the original safeguards that it saw necessary when it approved them.”

Here are some of the most hazardous risks to women taking abortion pills:

Dangerous complications from chemical abortions occur at a much higher rate than from surgical abortions.
Risks include incomplete abortion, septic shock, future miscarriage and stillbirth, excessive bleeding, hemorrhaging, and death from undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy.
Mifepristone is often used beyond the FDA approved gestation period of 10 weeks.
Risks increase because women do not have an in-person doctor's visit, they miscalculate how far along they are in their pregnancy, and they lack medical supervision.
Up to one in five women will experience complications from chemical abortion pills and are ending up in emergency rooms with life-threatening injuries.
Women are uninformed about the trauma they will experience from at-home chemical abortions when they see their dead baby.
Women are at serious risk of forced abortions from sex traffickers, boyfriends and husbands, parents, or abusers who obtain the deadly pills.

In addition to the dangers to women, Students for Life of America has pointed out that women are being told to flush their babies down the toilet. We don’t know what is now in our water because it isn’t being tested for abortion drugs or fetal remains.

Women who have taken the first dose of the abortion pill mifepristone, immediately regret their decision, and wish to reverse the effects, can go to abortionpillreversal.com

For more information, you can watch the docuseries produced by Students for Life of America This is Chemical Abortion. A good resource for the dangers of abortion drugs can be found at abortiondrugfacts.com

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has asked us to pray for the intercession of St. Joseph, Defender of Life as the Supreme Court deliberates about the abortion pill. You can find a printable version of the prayer at prolifedallas.org/prayer

February 2024

SCOTUS to Hear Abortion Pill Case

The Supreme Court of the United States announced that they will hear oral arguments on March 26 on how patients can access mifepristone, known as the abortion pill.

The case was initially brought by the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine (AHM) against the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), challenging increased access to the drug. The FDA has allowed pills to be prescribed online, mailed to patients, and dispensed at brick-and-mortar pharmacies.

AHM also argued that the FDA didn’t adequately study the safety risks of the drug before approving it for sale in 2000 and asked the court to overturn the approval of the drug. The Supreme Court has already turned down that challenge.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which last heard the case, held that the FDA must put safety regulations back on the abortion pill. Their ruling included ending the drug’s availability by mail, allowing it to only be used through the 7^th week of pregnancy, and requiring that it be administered in the presence of a doctor.

Please pray that the Supreme Court will uphold the Fifth Circuit’s ruling.

January 2024

Texas Continues to Lead!

Over 1,200 people gathered for Mass at the National Cathedral Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with Bishop Edward J. Burns as Primary Celebrant. In his homily, Bishop Burns told the faithful that he had gotten an email that week from someone concerned about the cold weather keeping people away from Mass. With the crowd filling the sanctuary and the overflow seated in the Grand Salon, he noted that the people hadn’t been at all discouraged by the cold. “To all of you, as your shepherd, I am so very proud and so very pleased that you have such conviction in upholding the sanctity of life. It is what we must do.”

After Mass, an estimated 4,500 marchers, braving a temperature of 34°, publicly witnessed to the theme of “Made in His Image” as they processed through downtown Dallas to the pro-life rally at Dallas City Hall.

Bishop Burns served as the first rally speaker, offering an opening prayer and inspiring the crowd with his remarks. Calling those who had walked beside him “wonderful disciples” of Jesus Christ, he urged them to stay vigilant and to stay active in championing the sanctity of life.

“Let us continue to be a voice for the voiceless,” Bishop Burns said. “Let us continue to pray to our God, who is the author of life, that He will continue to infuse into the minds of everyone the great gift He has given us…the gift of life.”

8/17/2023

CALL TO PRAYER: 5TH CIRCUIT COURT RULING ON MIFEPRISTONE

Yesterday, a ruling has come down on the abortion pill from the three-judge panel at the 5^th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. The decision allows the abortion drug mifepristone to remain authorized by the FDA, but it places the following restrictions on the drug:

No more mail order distribution
Patients have to receive a prescription from a doctor and have 3 follow-up appointments in person.
The time period when women can take the pill is reduced to 49 days into their pregnancy, down from 70 days.

In the panel’s opinion, Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod wrote, “In loosening mifepristone’s safety restrictions, FDA failed to address several important concerns about whether the drug would be safe for the women who use it.”

The Biden Administration has already appealed the ruling. Pro-life groups are also considering an appeal seeking to have the FDA approval of the drug revoked.

Until the Supreme Court rules on the most recent appeal, changes in the restrictions won’t go into effect. The court could make a ruling in its next term which begins in October.

Here is a link to a brief testimony by Dr. Andy Harris, Representative from Maryland, explaining to the House Rules Committee about the FDA’s failure to apply normal safety standards to the chemical abortion drug.

In this crucial time in our country’s history, let us all pray together for healing for those families affected by use of this drug, for hope for a future where abortion is considered unthinkable, and for our lawmakers and leaders to act with wisdom and charity towards life in all its stages.

St. Philomena, patron saint of children, please pray for an end to abortion, for the courts to rule in our favor, and for us to remain constant in the fight for life. Amen.

8/15/2023

Texas Sues Planned Parenthood for millions in Medicaid payments

On Tuesday, August 15, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk heard arguments in a state lawsuit seeking to be repaid millions of dollars by Planned Parenthood for the monies the abortion giant received through Medicaid.

For several years, Texas has fought to get Planned Parenthood out of the state, limiting the business from receiving funding for cancer screenings, contraception, and other sexual health care. In 2017, the provider was officially ineligible to receive payouts from the state’s Medicaid program after being cut off in 2016 by the Inspector General of the Texas Health and Human Services.

Apparently disregarding their ouster, Planned Parenthood continued to receive millions of dollars from the state over the next four years until 2021. The Texas Attorney General sued under the False Claims Act, which enables plaintiffs to add fines for every improper charge. Planned Parenthood has argued that with fines imposed for the payments, the total owed could be in excess of a billion dollars.

It is possible that Judge Kacsmaryk could send the case to trial rather than issuing a summary ruling.

Planned Parenthood receives over $1.8 million from taxpayers every day. Their excess of revenue over expenses is an incredible $204.7 million.

Check the status of abortion trigger laws across the US.

8/25/2022

On Thursday, August 25, the Texas Human Life Protection Act (HLPA), also known as the Trigger Ban, went into effect, completely protecting the life of the unborn from abortion from the moment of conception. The Texas Legislature had passed HPLA in anticipation that Roe would be overturned, and the bill was signed into law by Governor Abbott in 2021.

All 23 of Texas’ abortion centers had stopped performing abortions because of state laws already on the books before Roe v. Wade, thanks to an earlier ruling in July by the Texas Supreme Court to an appeal by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The pre-Roe statutes come with two to five years in prison, compared to five years to life in prison in the Trigger Ban.

Under HLPA, abortion providers can also be fined $100,000 and lose their medical license. Despite misinformation spread by those on the pro-abortion side, HPLA does not allow prosecution for the treatment of a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, and women cannot be charged.

The Heartbeat ban is also still in effect, allowing for anyone who performs or aids in an abortion to be sued (Abortion patients can’t be sued). As more prosecutors say they won’t prosecute and major cities are considering or have passed resolutions to prohibit using local funds to investigate or prosecute abortion-related crimes, private citizens can file lawsuits. Texas legislators are also exploring laws that would allow prosecutors to file charges in abortion cases if the local district attorneys refused to do so.

In addition, Governor Abbott also approved an appropriation of $100 million for the current two-year budget for the extremely effective Alternatives to Abortion program. For at least three years after birth, support is available from almost 200 pregnancy resource centers, maternity homes, and adoption agencies throughout the state, providing help for 150,000 clients each year. Governor Abbott also approved $1.2 billion/year in the Medicaid program for prenatal, childbirth, and follow-up care for low-income women and their babies.

7/19/2022

On Friday, July 15, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Women’s Health Protection Act.

The final vote was 219 - 210.

The bill will now go to the Senate, where it is expected to be blocked.

The second bill that has been submitted for vote following the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe vs. Wade is the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022.

The Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022 bill prohibits people from interfering with a person's ability to access out-of-state abortion services.

This bill, unfortunately, passed in the House of Representatives and has been sent to the Senate.

Dick’s Sporting Goods Gets Federal Citation for Discriminating against Moms

On Wednesday, July 13, America First Legal (AFL) filed a federal civil rights complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against Dick’s Sporting Goods for discriminating against moms.

When the Supreme Court found in favor of Dobbs and overturned Roe and Casey, Dick’s announced that they would provide “up to $4,000” in travel reimbursement for an employee, spouse, or dependent, along with one support person, to get an abortion. The money would be an employee benefit.

However, Dick’s didn’t offer the same equal benefit to moms who decide to keep their babies.

Discrimination based on childbirth is prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978.

Several companies have offered to pay for travel expenses for employees who would have to go out of state to obtain an abortion, including Amazon and Walt Disney, thereby avoiding payment for pregnancy and maternity benefits for moms on their payrolls. Strong speculation has been that corporations were more concerned about their bottom line than following their convictions about access to abortion.

Few, if any, businesses will provide both sets of benefits.

We look forward to following this story.

7/8/2022

Joe Biden signed an executive order on Friday, July 8, to encourage abortion and to direct several government agencies to provide incentives for abortion. His order will allow federal employees to use taxpayer money to travel to get their abortions.

He also said he would be instructing the Department of Health and Human Services, which is over the FDA, to make sure that people can continue to access medication abortion, which his order funds.

There is no action available to Biden to counter the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe and Casey. He cannot re-establish abortion as a national legal right, but he is pushing Congress to pass legislation to codify Roe and calling for voters to elect pro-abortion politicians in November.

Read the Executive Order here

7/2/2022

At midnight on July 2, the Texas Supreme Court blocked a Harris County Court temporary restraining order allowing abortions of babies up to six weeks.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an emergency motion asking the Texas Supreme Court to vacate the order, arguing that the lower court was wrong to ignore the state’s pre-Roe ban. He also stated that abortion providers could face punishment once the temporary restraining order was no longer in effect.

Abortion providers appear to be left with few options after the Dobbs ruling, for which we are most grateful.

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6/29/2022

On June 24, Roe vs. Wade was finally overturned.

Here is what our local District Attorneys are saying about the ruling and what it means for North Texas:

Regarding enforcing Texas laws on abortion, Tarrant County District Attorney Sharen Wilson issued this statement: “My oath and that of everyone in my office is to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States and Texas. Wilson added, “Prosecutors do not make the law — we follow it. We followed Roe v. Wade when it was the law, and we will follow Texas state law now.”

However, Dallas District Attorney John Creuzot has responded to the Texas ban on abortion saying, “I want women across Texas, and especially here in Dallas County, to rest assured that my office will not stand in the way of them seeking the health care they need.”

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told prosecutors across Texas immediately after the Supreme Court released its decision, that they could begin to criminally prosecute abortions. He has no power, however, to make the Dallas County DA do that.

In response to a lawsuit filed June 27, 2022, in a state court by pro-abortion groups, the court issued a temporary restraining order to block the enforcement of pre-Roe laws banning abortion.

Only Texas abortion centers involved in the lawsuit can temporarily resume abortions up to six weeks of pregnancy. In North Texas, those abortionists are Whole Women’s Health in McKinney and Fort Worth, and Southwestern Women’s Surgery Center in Dallas.

Another hearing is scheduled for July 12, 2022.

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What Should I Know?

Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health

On December 1, the Supreme Court heard the case from Mississippi that challenges a state law prohibiting abortions of unborn babies after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
The question they will be deciding is whether all pre-viability prohibitions on elective abortions are unconstitutional. Read More

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What is Roe v. Wade?

On Jan. 22, 1973, the Supreme Court issued a decision that a woman's right to an abortion falls within the right to privacy protected by the 14th Amendment. The decision gave a woman a right to an abortion during the entirety of the pregnancy. Read More

Timeline Since Roe v. Wade

1973

Roe v Wade: All women have access to abortion, and Medicaid covers abortion.

1992

Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v Casey: The Supreme Court was asked to overrule Roe v Wade. The Court reaffirmed Roe’s “essential holding,” the woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy before viability.

2003

HB 15 passed by Texas Legislature: Mandatory 24 hour waiting period before abortion. Mandatory ultrasound. Abortionist must offer the option to listen to the sonogram and view the ultrasound.
SB 835, companion bill, passed by Texas Legislature: Women’s Right to Know Act, requiring abortionists to provide women with state-provided printed materials describing the growth stages of the baby along with additional regulations.

2005

Texas Department of Health and Human Services is prohibited from contracting with health care providers who perform abortions or who are affiliated with facilities that provide abortion care.
Texas begins to fund pregnancy help centers.

2006

A parent’s written consent must be notarized before a girl under the age of 18 can get an abortion.

2013

Texas Legislature passes law requiring abortion facilities to meet same standards as required for ambulatory surgical centers.
Abortionists are also required to hold admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.
Abortions after 20 weeks are banned, unless the woman’s life or health is at risk or in the case of a fetal anomaly.

2021

Texas Heartbeat Bill: Bans abortion after fetal heartbeat is detected. Since the law went into effect on September 1, 2021, client visits to abortion centers have been reduced by 50%. Client visits to pregnancy resource centers have increased by 40%. The law survived several court challenges.
Texas Legislature passed Chemical Abortion Safety Protocols that went into effect on December 1, 2021, with the following provisions: A woman can be no more than 7 weeks along in her pregnancy, and she must be seen and assessed in person by the abortion doctor. Mail-order abortions are prohibited and there are criminal penalties for violating the law.
The Human Life Protection Act was passed during the same legislative session. This law is triggered and goes into effect when and to the extent that the Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade. Within 30 days of the Court’s decision, this law goes into effect.

2022

Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health: Supreme Court heard case that challenges a state law prohibiting abortions of unborn babies after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The question they are deciding is whether all pre-viability prohibitions on elective abortions are unconstitutional. Ruling will be made May/June and may overturn Roe.
5/25/2022

According to research done by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, “as of April 21, 42 states have introduced a total of 417 pro-life bills (or bills containing at least one pro-life provision) in 2022 or the current legislative session. This includes 273 bills introduced in 2022, and 144 bills introduced in 2020-2021 for the current legislative session. These bills contain a total of more than 600 pro-life provisions. Currently, 12 states have enacted 15 pro-life bills into law in 2022 or in the current legislative session.