By Suzanne Sprague, KERA 90.1 reporter
Dallas, TX – Suzanne Sprague, Reporter: In November, when the Republican Party swept away the last vestiges of the Democrats' political leadership, it seemed to signal the tipping point in Texas abortion politics.
Kyleen Wright, Texans for Life Coalition: We have all new leadership from the governor to the lieutenant governor to the speaker of the House, we have a lot more Republicans, but really the biggest change is in the leadership and being able to put some of our friends in positions to help us more.
Sprague: Kyleen Wright is the president of the Texans for Life Coalition, which is based in Irving. This week she traveled to Austin in support of House Bill 15, which would require women to review pictures of fetal development and other information and impose a 24-hour waiting period before they could get an abortion. Similar bills were proposed at least twice in previous sessions, but on Tuesday, the measure was voted out of committee for the first time. Sarah Wheat with the Texas Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League describes the current legislative session as "terrifying."
Sarah Wheat, Texas Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League: Often with this issue we say the sky is falling the sky is falling, and as crazy as it sounds, this year we truly believe the sky is falling. We just think that we're going to see some anti-choice bills become law that we have always been able to prevent in the past.
Sprague: Observers say in past sessions, many abortion debates were tabled because legislators on both sides of the aisle believed they were too hot politically. But those same observers say under the current leadership, abortion rights can hardly be avoided this year. Pro-life groups are optimistic about House Bill 15, known to many as the informed consent bill. Elizabeth Graham with Texas Right to Life says the measure lets women make better-informed decisions about abortion.
Elizabeth Graham, Public Affairs Director of Texas Right to Life: That doesn't mean it's a said and done deal because there will always be a few nuances in the bill that people don't like or some people will want to make it an omnibus pro-life bill and put other stuff into it, but I think as long as we keep it a clean informed consent, which is of course our goal, we should not have any problems.
Sprague: But pro-choice groups have sent more lobbyists to Austin this year than in any previous session. They are armed with public polls that indicate Texans aren't comfortable with politicians deciding abortion issues. And, they say a provision in House Bill 15 that would require abortion providers to advise women of a possible link between breast cancer and abortion is blatantly false, according to he National Cancer Institute. But they also face something of an uphill battle with their own supporters. Peggy Romberg with the Women's Health and Family Planning Association says they're not as single-issue focused as many pro-life voters.
Peggy Romberg, Women's Health and Family Planning Association: They generally vote on a lot of different issues and they are not single-issue voters. And consequently there are people who sit on the boards of many family planning agencies who vote for candidates that don't necessarily or who won't in the end support reproductive health care and reproductive choices.
Sprague: Which makes Romberg's job more challenging. Romberg isn't certain when House Bill 15 will reach the House floor. A companion bill is pending in a Senate committee. Both bills could set an important benchmark for the courts and legislative sessions to come. For KERA 90.1, I'm Suzanne Sprague.
Email Suzanne Sprague about this story.