Victory for Pro-Life Centers, Religious Liberty!

This week, Austin area pro-life centers gained a huge victory in their fight to protect their free speech and religious liberty rights. Texas Values president Jonathan Saenz, formerly a lawyer for Liberty Institute, was a part of the legal team that successfully defended the nonprofit centers. In 2012, Liberty Institute challenged the constitutionality of an Austin ordinance that unfairly required Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRCs) to post a sign at their front entrances with a false and misleading message about the services that they do not provide. However, pro-abortion facilities providing or facilitating abortions were not required to post signs or disclaimers that reference their services or procedures. Finding that the ordinance was void for vagueness, a federal court ruled that the City of Austin may not enforce its unconstitutional ordinances against the Diocese and other crisis pregnancy centers.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin, Austin Pregnancy Resource Center, and South Austin Pregnancy Resource Center were represented by Liberty Institute. Attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom and two pro-life organizations were representing Austin LifeCare. The City of Austin tried to bully nonprofit pregnancy help centers with complete disregard towards religious liberty and free speech. The City of Austin was warned by legal experts and they forced it through the process anyway. This victory is a strong statement that pro-life centers were right all along. Strong Texas women lead each of these pregnancy centers. Read more.

A decision in the important Hobby Lobby case at the U.S. Supreme Court is expected next week. Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood cases opposing Obamacare’s HHS mandate that forces businesses to pay for abortion-causing drugs for their employees regardless of the owner’s religious beliefs. Hobby Lobby seeks to operate its business in accordance with Christian principals, but under the HHS mandate it is now being forced to violate its beliefs or risk millions of dollars in fines.

Religious freedom is our most foundational freedom, protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. President Obama’s HHS Mandate empowers the government to force individuals and business to violate their moral beliefs as a price of doing business. This type of clear attack on the First Amendment should not be tolerated in America. Please sign our petition in support of Hobby Lobby and commit to pray for this important decision.

Jim Daly’s “The Good Dad”

As we wrap up the month of June when the value of fatherhood is celebrated, we want to bring to your attention a new book by Focus on the Family president, Jim Daly. The book is called “The Good Dad” and Jim Daly draws from his own childhood experiences and his current role as a father, to encourage other men to become the father they were meant to be. Texas Values is the state Family Policy Council associated with Focus on the Family and we are proud to support this new book. Find out more.

Help Us End Our Fiscal Year Strong

June 30 marks the end of our fiscal year, and we need your support to continue to grow our efforts to stand for faith, family, and freedom in Texas. Please prayerfully consider contributing to our critical efforts to protect the unborn, stand for marriage and families, and uphold our religious freedom. Giving by the end of June will help our efforts tremendously, please give today on our secure website here.