Governor Greg Abbott Supports the Texas Heartbeat Bill
Yesterday, Governor Greg Abbott tweeted his support for SB 8, the Texas Heartbeat Bill, by Texas Senator Bryan Hughes. His support came after the Texas Senate voted on Monday to protect innocent life by passing this legislation.
Jonathan Saenz, President of Texas Values, expressed his gratitude, “Governor Abbott’s support of the Texas Heartbeat bill is so important and timely, and his continued leadership helps save children from the ‘ravages of abortion’ as he stated. We look forward to the Texas House passing the Heartbeat bill, now that it has passed the Texas Senate.”
The Texas Heartbeat Bill requires physicians to check for a baby’s heartbeat and inform the mother if the presence of a heartbeat is detected. Once a heartbeat is detected, the doctor must take all necessary steps to protect the life of the child. The bill also creates civil liability for aiding and abetting an abortion. Representative Shelby Slawson is carrying HB 1515 – the House companion bill for SB 8.
“Today is a historic day: the Texas Senate took the first step forward in saving thousands of lives with the passage of SB 8. A heartbeat is an essential indicator of life and every heartbeat deserves a chance to live that life abundantly,” said Mary Elizabeth Castle, Policy Advisor for Texas Values.
In Texas, over 57,000 unborn children were aborted in 2019. With advancements in technology and science, the heartbeat has become a key medical predictor of whether an unborn child will reach live birth. Several other states have passed heartbeat legislation in the past few years. SB 8 recognizes the heartbeat as a universal indicator of life and could protect an unborn child as early as 6 weeks into pregnancy.
Texas is a statewide nonprofit pro-life organization that has been part of the passage of every major pro-life bill in Texas since 2013. Texas Values has supporters in all 254 countries in Texas.
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About Texas Values
Texas Values is the largest statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to standing for faith, family, and freedom in Texas. More information is available at txvalues.org.