Austin, TX — Today, Abbott announced his priorities for the special session — the vast majority are fringe issues (like abortion restrictions) that attack the fundamental rights of everyday Texans. Abortion is a safe and common procedure, and the majority of Texans–54%– do not want to see new restrictions. We’re just weeks away from SB8–the nation’s most restrictive abortion law that was vehemently opposed by hundreds of Texas physicians— going into effect, but that’s not stopping Abbott from doubling down on his anti-science agenda.

Abbott’s abortion ban at the start of the pandemic showed us that Texans’ need for abortion care didn’t go away, instead, it delayed care into the second trimester, forced Texans to travel hundreds of miles out of state for care, or restricted them from accessing the care they needed all together according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. 

Avow Political Director Caroline Duble issued the following statement:

“Gone are the days when anti-abortion zealots would hide their actions behind the guise of health and safety. With the courts packed full of Trump appointees, Abbott is encouraging legislators to pursue any and all restrictions, bans, and attempts to criminalize abortion care. Medication abortion is one the safest practices modern medicine has to offer, and these restrictions would push it out of reach for Texans, denying them the standard of care of medicine and the benefits of scientific progress. 

In case Abbott hasn’t gotten the memo – Texans don’t want abortion restrictions, they want a reliable electrical grid that won’t go down and cause another unavoidable catastrophe like the winter storm.”

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