AUSTIN, June 11, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has signed legislation that forbids localities from doing business with Planned Parenthood or any other abortion business, enacting what is said to have been one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s top legislative priorities.
Senate Bill 22 forbids city and county governments from “enter[ing] into a taxpayer resource transaction with an abortion provider or an affiliate of an abortion provider,” such as reduced tax or lease agreements, except as specifically required by federal law. It also bars localities from engaging in “advocacy or lobbying on behalf of the interests of an abortion provider or affiliate.”
Before passage last week, it was tweaked to clarify that it “may not be construed to restrict a municipality or county from prohibiting abortion,” CBS News reports.
Texas Right to Life thanked Abbot for signing the measure on social media:
Thank you @GovAbbott for signing Senate Bill 22 into law! TX taxpayers are now protected from subsidizing abortion providers & affiliates thru state & local tax dollars, marking the next step in removing all public funds from the abortion industry #txlege #prolife
— Texas Right to Life (@TXRightToLife) June 10, 2019
“While they may not be doing abortions [at a Planned Parenthood building leased by the City of Austin], those dollars can still pass through to prop up the abortion industry, so this bill does inhibit local municipalities from contracting with an abortion facility,” GOP state Sen. Donna Campbell has explained.
“Texas taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to subsidize the abortion industry with their tax dollars, abortion providers unnaturally end the lives of almost 60,000 of our tiniest and most vulnerable Texans every year,” Campbell added.
“As governor, I will fight for every child to have a chance at life,” Abbott previously declared. “Working together, we will keep Texas the most pro-life state.”