If you’ve been watching the news, you’ve probably heard a lot about the new pro-life law in Texas. But you could be confused about what happened and what it means for the future of pro-life legislation in our country.
The law in question was passed a few months ago. Like many other measures passed in different states, it is fundamentally a “heartbeat bill.” It prohibits doctors from performing abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected – unless it is a medical emergency. (The heartbeat can usually be detected around 6 weeks.) What makes the Texas law a little bit different is that it forbids state officials from enforcing it. What it does allow is for private citizens to sue anyone who violates the act (or aids and abets a violation of the act) in civil court.
Why give citizens the right to sue over breaking the law but prevent the government from doing anything? It’s an ingenious legal strategy aimed at preventing pro-abortion groups from getting an injunction against the law in court. Abortion groups can’t ask the federal courts to keep Texas police or other officials from enforcing the law because the law doesn’t let them enforce it. Nonetheless, those abortion groups did try to get the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the law from going into effect, and the Supreme Court declined to do so.
It’s important to note that the Supreme Court’s decision to let the Texas law go into effect was based on technical issues about procedure. There is an abortion case on the Court’s docket this session, but it would be premature to assume that their decision on the Texas law says anything about how they will rule on the latest challenge to Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood.
However, the Texas law is a direct challenge to the way that those court cases made it nearly impossible to place any limits on abortion in the U.S. Despite the propaganda from the abortion industry suggesting otherwise, the U.S. remains one of the most permissive countries in the world when it comes to abortion. States cannot even limit late-term abortions without running afoul of the courts. The Texas heartbeat bill was an attempt to sidestep the abortion lobby’s plan to undermine any law that might decrease abortion rates.
Because it contains a revolutionary and complex enforcement mechanism, the Texas bill may eventually fall victim to legal issues. However, it has done its job. It has exposed the real agenda of the pro-abortion left, and made it clear that our court precedents on abortion are fundamentally broken. Even better, it has drastically reduced the number of abortions in Texas. According to some reports, pro-life groups looking to sue someone for violating the law on Sept. 2 weren’t able to do so. As far as they could tell, Texas abortion providers have simply stopped performing abortions after 6 weeks.
This is a great victory for pro-life – and it shows that patience and determination will ultimately lead to victory. This is what it means to put our country on the right path!
If you are looking for more pro-life inspiration, I urge you to get your tickets now for our upcoming Standing in the Gap luncheon. The keynote speaker will be acclaimed pro-life activist Dr. Alveda King, who recently launched a new organization dedicated to promoting the sanctity of all human life.
Tickets to the luncheon are available through our secure payment page. If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor of the luncheon, you can get more information on the sponsorship page on the CAAP website. For those who can’t make it to the luncheon, you can still make a donation to the event through our payment portal.
This has been a great week for life. Let us give thanks and get ready for the next challenge!
