Austin Plans to Dodge Texas' Pro-Life Laws
A fire is brewing in Texas. A fight for the culture. A fight to save children by putting an end to abortion. But, as it comes with fires, there’s always someone trying to put it out.
Many of us have heard about Waskom, Texas and their courageous stand here. to declare themselves a “Sanctuary City for the Unborn.” They have lit a fire in the state, and of course, it hasn’t come without some backlash.
Recent legislation passed in the State of Texas says that local and state governments are no longer allowed to use taxpayer dollars to partner with organizations that perform abortions. That bill, SB22, introduced by Senator Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels), was brought forth in hopes of weakening the funding of abortion in the State of Texas.
“I think taxpayers’ dollars should not be used for abortion facilities or their affiliates,” said Senator Campbell in an article by The Texas Tribune. Now, they won’t be. The bill was signed by Governor Greg Abbott in June and went into effect on September 1st, 2019. But is this really the end of the public funding of abortion in Texas? A certain Texas City Council doesn’t believe so.
The new law by no means has caused the culture of death to back down. It has only caused them to regroup. Members of the Austin, Texas City Council are proposing a measure that will add $100k in “abortion assistance” to their annual city budget.
What exactly is “abortion assistance?” This new measure would allow $100k to go towards organizations like The Lilith Fund, Bridge Collective, and Fund Texas Choice that do not directly provide abortions but assist with travel, lodging, childcare, and other forms of support for those seeking out abortions.
Amanda Williams of Lilith’s Fund, had this to say about the council’s proposal:
“Our city claims to be very committed to abortion access and now is the time to put their money where their mouth is and show the community they prioritize and value abortion as health-care.”
“While right-wing leaders at the federal and state level have made it impossible for so many, especially low income people, to access care it’s really important for our city to stand up for our constituents and help take down some of those many barriers,” Council Member Greg Casar, a supporter of the budget measure, told the Austin Chronicle.
Mark Lee Dickson, Director of Right to Life East Texas, also commented on the proposed measure:
"The Lilith Fund has found a way to prey on vulnerable women and their unborn children again by promoting a budget item that seeks to provide childcare and other services for mothers who wish to have an abortion. It takes a certain level of depravity for a group to fund childcare for a woman's born child in order to make it easier for her to kill her unborn child. "While the City Council of Waskom, Texas took an action to protect the life of unborn children, the City Council of Austin is entertaining taking an action that makes it easier for Mothers to end the life of their unborn children."
Dickson attended and spoke on behalf of the unborn at the meeting where the measure was introduced. The video with his testimony can be seen here.
The pro-abortion crowd is deadset on providing free abortion access no matter the obstacles placed. This is why we must place a stronghold, rather than a patch, on the problem. We must not only get rid of public funding for abortion but abortion altogether. Otherwise, cities like Austin will be able to find loophole after loophole to circumvent the system.
Are we going to continue to be content with regulating abortion and its funding? The only way this story of human rights ends is with the total abolition of abortion.
If you live in Austin, call your city council members and tell them you will not stand for the shedding of innocent blood.
The council is set to put the measure to a vote on Tuesday, September, 10th.