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Texas GOP Faces Backlash Over Meeting Endorsing Death Penalty for Abortion
Story by Jacob Miller
• 12h • 2 min read
At a recent Texas GOP meeting, a group advocating for the death penalty for women who have abortions stirred controversy and drew sharp criticism, reflecting the ongoing intense debate over abortion rights in the state. Leaked video footage from a meeting held by Abolish Abortion Texas (AATX) in Granbury, Texas, showcased attendees, including Hood County GOP officials, endorsing extreme measures against abortion and In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) procedures. This development has reignited concerns over the direction of abortion legislation in Texas.
Paul Brown, the Director of Policy for AATX, was seen in the video characterizing IVF as a form of abortion, equating the destruction of a fertilized egg to murder. “Their lives [women] don’t matter any more than the babies’ they are killing,” Brown stated, further indicating the group’s opposition to all forms of contraception, including emergency contraception pill Plan B.
Several audience members at the event, hosted by Monica Brown, noted for her book ban attempts, suggested that women and doctors involved in abortion should be “held accountable” to the fullest extent of the law. This rhetoric represents a concerning turn in the anti-abortion movement in Texas, potentially influencing future legislative efforts.
AATX has endorsed a slate of candidates running for the Texas State House, indicative of the strong anti-abortion stance embraced by sections of the Texas GOP. Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa responded with alarm, stating, “The fact that Texas Republicans are meeting with people willing to send pregnant women and doctors to Death Row should terrify every person in Texas.”
Meanwhile, Republican Party of Texas has listed the abolition of abortion as a priority, seeking legislative action to recognize the rights of unborn children at every gestation stage. This push aligns with the intense advocacy for stringent anti-abortion measures within the state.
In contrast, South Carolina’s legislative efforts to impose severe anti-abortion proposals have faced setbacks. Nine GOP co-sponsors withdrew their support from a bill that sought to apply homicide laws to people who undergo abortions, revealing hesitation among legislators to support extreme criminal penalties for abortion.
Rep. Matt Leber, initially a supporter of the South Carolina bill, reversed his stance, emphasizing his unwillingness to criminalize women. “In its current form, I cannot keep my name on it,” Leber stated. Rep. Brandon Guffey, another former co-sponsor, echoed the sentiment, stating, “I don’t believe that a woman should be murdered for having an abortion.”
The South Carolina Prenatal Equal Protection Act aimed to grant unborn children equal protection under homicide laws, potentially categorizing abortion as a capital offense. However, the withdrawal of support and Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey’s assertion that the
