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Texas leaders, politicians, organizations react to Roe v. Wade decision

We're tracking the latest Roe v. Wade reactions from Texas leaders, activists and legal experts.

DALLAS — The Supreme Court has ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, the longtime legal precedent guaranteeing the right of legal abortion in the U.S. 

The 6-3 ruling was handed down Friday morning, a major decision after months of protests and years of legal fighting over abortion rights in the country. 

The court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was a determination of the constitutionality of a 2018 Mississippi law banning most abortions after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. For more background on the ruling, click here.

In light of the Supreme Court's decision today and its impact on Roe v. Wade, we're tracking reactions from North Texas leaders, activists and legal experts.

Here's a look at reactions from Texas officials:

Gov. Greg Abbott

"The U.S. Supreme Court correctly overturned Roe v. Wade and reinstated the right of states to protect innocent, unborn children. Texas is a pro-life state, and we have taken significant action to protect the sanctity of life. Texas has also prioritized supporting women's healthcare and expectant mothers in need to give them the necessary resources so that they can choose life for their child. I signed laws that extended Medicaid health care coverage to six months post-partum, appropriated $345 million for women's health programs, and invested more than $100 million toward our Alternatives to Abortion program. This critical program provides counseling, mentoring, care coordination, and material assistance, such as car seats, diapers, and housing to mothers in need. Texas will always fight for the innocent unborn, and I will continue working with the Texas legislature and all Texans to save every child from the ravages of abortion and help our expectant mothers in need."

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton 

"SCOTUS just overruled Roe & Casey, ending one of the most morally & legally corrupt eras in US history. Praise the Lord. Abortion is now illegal in Texas. And today I’m closing my office—and making it an annual holiday—as a memorial to the 70 million lives lost bc of abortion."

Beto O'Rourke

We will overcome this decision in Texas by winning political power.

We will overcome this decision in Texas by winning political power.

Posted by Beto O'Rourke on Friday, June 24, 2022

Texas Democrats

“Nearly 50 years ago, the Supreme Court enshrined in Roe v. Wade the fundamental right to reproductive freedom for all Americans. Today, our worst fear was realized: the Court has overturned that ruling, ending the federal constitutional protection of abortion rights and threatening the reproductive liberty of millions of Americans. No child or adult should be forced to carry a pregnancy to term against their will. By supporting this decision and enacting legislation like the ‘trigger’ law, Greg Abbott and Texas Republicans have made it clear they are hellbent on doing just that. With the passage of Texas’s six-week abortion ban, these radical far-right conservatives have already made Texas an incredibly dangerous place to live for the millions who sought to exercise their previously-protected right to abortion. Now, Texas has become exponentially more dangerous with the activation of this dystopian and extremist law. Nevertheless, we cannot and will not stop fighting. Make no mistake: Texas Democrats will not sit idly by as Republicans threaten the lives and liberty of millions of Texans. Today’s decision is a blaring, five-alarm call to action. It is more important than ever that we send to Washington true, fearless leaders who are ready to fight to codify abortion at the federal level.  It is more important than ever that we elect Beto O’Rourke as governor, flip the Texas Legislature, and elect Democrats up and down the ticket who will overturn Greg Abbott’s draconian and brutal laws imposing the will of a tiny minority on the entirety of our state. We cannot tolerate anything less. This is the moment to organize, raise our voices, and create change. The urgency of protecting abortion access has never been greater; the threat to our livelihoods and freedoms has never been more immediate. This November, Texans have a choice: radical conservatives running on a platform of anti-freedom and anti-Texan authoritarianism, forced birth, and human suffering – or Democrats up and down the ticket who will cushion the blow of today’s national trauma by ensuring Texans can live without fear of forfeiting the right to their most basic bodily autonomy. The choice is clear. The moment to act is right now.”

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick

"Today is a tremendous day for life. The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization adheres to the constitution and returns the decision on abortion back to the states. Because of our trigger bill that we passed last year, in 30 days, abortion will be banned in Texas. I thank God for delivering us this day, and I am so proud that Texas has taken the lead to ensure that such evil can no longer live in our state. Since I first took office in 2007, protecting life has been my top priority. In 2011, I authored the Sonogram Law, and in 2021, I was proud to lead the Texas Senate in passing the Heartbeat Act, which dramatically reduced the number of abortions that occur in Texas. Media estimates report that as many as 62 million innocent lives have been ended since the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade in 1973. Words cannot do that unfathomable number justice. The left will surely fight to keep the abortion industry alive in Texas, but they will fail. The Supreme Court's ruling is an acknowledgement of the truth: when an abortion is performed, a human life is ended. This watershed victory is not just a victory for innocent life, but a victory for all of humanity."

Sen. Ted Cruz

“The Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs case, reversing Roe v. Wade, is nothing short of a massive victory for life, and it will save the lives of millions of innocent babies. The decision reverses one of the most egregious departures from the Constitution and legal precedent the United States has ever seen, and one that has resulted in the deaths of 63 million American children. Roe was wrong the day it was decided, and it has been wrong every day since then. If you search for the word ‘abortion’ in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, you won’t find it. The Court at the time acknowledged that, and yet Roe created a brand new constitutional ‘right’ out of whole cloth. And while the left manically argues that the Dobbs decision makes abortion illegal throughout the country, that is false. What this decision does is leave abortion policy up to the states and returns power to the American people—which is exactly how questions of abortion were handled before Roe. This is a momentous day, and yet the fight for life doesn’t end with the Dobbs decision. It simply begins a new chapter. I’ve been proud to stand for life in the U.S. Senate, and I will continue to do so as we navigate the path ahead.”

Sen. John Cornyn

“Today, the Court has restored one of the core principles of our Constitution with this landmark ruling. This decision correctly returns the authority of states to decide the limits on abortion and will save countless innocent lives. I commend the Justices for not bowing to the vicious intimidation campaign waged by the radical Left. I join Texans in celebrating this historic victory for life and the rule of law.”

Planned Parenthood Texas

“Today, the U.S. Supreme Court erased nearly 50 years of history and its responsibility to uphold legal precedent. This deplorable ruling by the Court’s conservative majority strips Americans of their constitutional rights and further erodes abortion access in Texas. This dangerous outcome opens the floodgates for more states across the country to ban abortion. Texans know all too well the reality of living in a post-Roe world. For more than nine months under S.B 8, Texans have been denied access to abortion in their own state and have been forced to continue a pregnancy, seek abortion outside the health care system, or travel hundreds or even thousands of miles if they can secure the funds, time off from work, child care, and transportation needed to access abortion out of state. Providers have been forced to turn away patients. It’s heartbreaking and completely preventable. Forcing someone to continue a pregnancy against their will is a grave violation of human rights and dignity. All Americans deserve to live under a rule of law that respects their bodily autonomy and reproductive decisions. Let’s be clear: today’s ruling and its unraveling of Roe v. Wade will not end the need for abortion. This decision will have damaging effects for generations.  And we know the impacts of this decision will fall hardest on the communities who already face discriminatory obstacles to health care—particularly Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities, people with disabilities, people in rural areas, young people, LGBTQ+ people, undocumented people, and those having difficulty making ends meet. The fate of Roe is not the fate of Planned Parenthood. Today our doors are open and they will remain open to serve Texans who need access to essential reproductive health care. Our priority will remain restoring and expanding access to that care, including abortion, for all Texans.” 

Republican Party of Texas

"Today is a historic day which Republicans and Pro-Life advocates have waited for a generation. It will be remembered in history as the day the United States of America reversed one of the most unjust, damaging and plainly incorrect judicial decisions in it's history. Thankfully, the left's egregious attack on our government institutions failed, and justice was done. We also are grateful for the work of Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, Sen. Angela Paxton, and the Republican and Democrat legislators who passed the law which will now protect the lives of all unborn children in Texas. The Republican Party of Texas continues to support facilitating adoptions and providing assistance to mothers in need both during and after their pregnancies. During the 87th Texas Legislature funding was greatly increased for the Alternatives to Abortion program, which received a total of $100 million for the biennium. This program gives mothers access to needed resources during and after their pregnancy. The program assists new mothers and their children by providing items like diapers, formula, car seats, and classes on pregnancy and parenting. Additionally, private nonprofit crisis pregnancy centers like Birth Choice in Dallas, the Trotter House in Austin, and Houston Pregnancy Help Center in Houston provide services to assist mothers both during and after pregnancy."

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

"Most Americans believe the decision to have a child is one of the most sacred decisions there is, and that such decisions should remain between patients and their doctors. Today's Supreme Court opinion will live in infamy as a step backward for women's rights and human rights."

Former President Donald J. Trump

"Today’s decision, which is the biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation, along with other decisions that have been announced recently, were only made possible because I delivered everything as promised, including nominating and getting three highly respected and strong Constitutionalists confirmed to the United States Supreme Court. It was my great honor to do so! I did not cave to the Radical Left Democrats, their partners in the Fake News Media, or the RINOs who are likewise the true, but silent, enemy of the people. These major Victories prove that even though the Radical Left is doing everything in their power to destroy our Country, your Rights are being protected, the Country is being defended, and there is still hope and time to Save America! I will never stop fighting for the Great People of our Nation!"

Former President Barack Obama

"Today, the Supreme Court not only reversed nearly 50 years of precedent, it relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues – attacking the essential freedoms of millions of Americans."

Texas Organizing Project

“Today, our nation’s right-wing political machine, fueled by lies and a desire to continue the sinister, violent legacy of white supremacy, stripped Americans of their fundamental right to safe and legal abortion – a ruthless crusade nearly 50 years in the making. Words alone cannot fully convey the atrociousness of this partisan opinion, the ways in which it jeopardizes countless other inherent personal freedoms, and the level of harm it will inflict on our nation’s marginalized communities – notably Black and Latino. This methodical undermining of our fundamental rights is par for the course for this Supreme Court. It is this right-wing court that has shattered protections in the Voting Rights Act and has now gutted rights established by Miranda v. Arizona. It is no coincidence whatsoever that right-wing extremists are hell-bent on banning us from making decisions for ourselves, literally not allowing us as human beings to have the power to determine our own futures. The fight for healthcare broadly, and abortion access specifically, IS a fight for racial justice. In his absurd majority draft opinion drenched in cynicism, Justice Alito states “Women are not without electoral or political power” – a twisted and insulting invitation for us to re-secure these human rights ourselves at the state legislative level, since our reactionary-ruled Supreme Court will not recognize them. We fully intend to turn Alito’s backhanded dare on its head, and fight tooth and nail with allies for however long is necessary to ensure that all – no matter our race, income level, or ZIP Code – have access to the abortion care we all deserve. We will leave no stone unturned in using this dare as a catalyst for bold, people-powered transformation. Our presence will be felt in the streets, and our rage will be channeled at the ballot box as we will stop at nothing to win, because future generations deserve so much more than regressive policies holding us back from living the full, happy lives we all have a right to live.”

Republican National Committee

"Life wins! Millions of Americans are celebrating today’s ruling and a pro-life movement that has worked tirelessly for decades. For a half century unelected judges have dictated America’s abortion laws. This historic ruling rightfully returns power to the American people to enact laws that protect unborn children and support mothers everywhere. As this debate now returns to the states and the American people, we know there is still much work ahead. Republicans will continue to advocate for life, uphold the law, and stand against an extreme Democrat Party’s pro-abortion agenda.”

Congressman Collin Allred

“This is a radical, dangerous, and deeply unpopular decision by a radical, activist, and out of touch Court. In choosing to rip away 50 years of rights for women, this Court has also laid the groundwork to rip away many other rights. The United States now joins a vanishingly small list of countries where the right to an abortion is not protected, a list that also coincides with dramatic democratic backsliding. Just like when abortion was illegal before, abortion won't end, it will just become dangerous and cost women their lives. This ruling joins the list of the worst decisions in the Court’s long history. The real world impacts will be devastating and will take us back decades. The burden to protect women’s rights now falls to the Congress and our state legislatures. We can and should do that, but we must also recognize that we will need to organize and activate the millions of Americans who don’t want to see us go backwards any further. My hope is that today is remembered in future history books not for this disgraceful ruling, but for the brave folks who stood up in its wake to fight for a more perfect union and the change they brought about. I will be fighting alongside them.”

State Sen. Royce West

“Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, is a setback for women’s rights and the right to privacy in our country. For years, I have championed a woman’s right to make her own health choices, inclusive of her reproductive rights. In the coming Legislative Session, I will do everything possible to fight for Texas women and their reproductive rights. I will continue to analyze today’s decision to determine the best legislative path forward to help Texas women. Those who believe in a woman's right to choose will need to become more actively involved by voting to send others to Austin to help me in this fight. An attack on women's rights today, will result in attacks on the rights of others tomorrow."

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins

"Most Texans want abortion to remain safe and legal, and that's not going to happen here in Texas in the short term. All Texans wanted to have unwanted pregnancies be minimal. What we're focused on is on women health. We are working with TrustHer, $11.5 million private funded initiative to have community care clinics in the Dallas area that can provide low cost or no cost contraceptive care and counseling. At Parkland we have Wish Clinics. These are women infant care clinics and we have those at our main campus and we have those at our satellites as well. We're going to get some mobile van clinics. Some of those great big mobile home clinics where we want to partner with groups like colleges to be able to take our mobile clinics out there and provide low cost, no cost, contraceptive counseling and care to people in in that area. I'm going to be asking the county commissioners as we come back from their July break to fund some public information so that people know where they can go for contraceptive care that is affordable. At this time, where rents are going up, gas and everything is going up, we've got to make sure that contraceptives remain affordable. We’ll always stand for women's health in Dallas and Dallas County. And we're doing that now. Elections have consequences. And President Trump promised that regardless of what his appointee said in their confirmation hearings, if they got on the Supreme Court, they'd overturn Roe versus Wade. That's what's happened. Abortion will now be illegal in half of the states in America. The answer to the laws that you disagree with is to make sure you and your loved ones are registered and then vote. Vote in that election. Our next election is in November. Send a message to the state that you want women to have access to health care."

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