TAL UPDATE: Election results you didn't hear about from the media.

TAL Update 10/24/08

==> Please forward to pro-life email lists. <==

Election results you didn't hear about from the media

There's no debating that the pro-life movement took a body blow with the election of Barack Obama. Unborn children and their mothers will suffer greatly during his administration.

In Texas things aren't nearly so grim. Our elections were headlined by the re-election of pro-life U.S. Sen. John Cornyn by a comfortable 12-point margin. In the Texas delegation for the U.S. House, all pro-life incumbents defeated challengers, and pro-life Pete Olson defeated pro-abortion incumbent Nick Lampson, making a net gain of one pro-life vote. All statewide elected officials in Texas who were pro-life did well at the polls.

The results for the Texas Legislature were not as bright. It appears there will be a net loss of one pro-life vote in the Senate and as many as three in the House.

Kudos to the pastor of St. William Catholic Church in Round Rock. Rev. Joel McNeil mailed a letter to his entire congregation explaining the position of Diana Maldonado, a pro-abortion candidate for the Texas State House who attends his parish. His letter is a shining example of how religious leaders can fulfill their duty to educate their flock about critical issues to be considered at election time and how candidates stand on those issues. His letter states:

[S]everal people have contacted Diana's campaign office. The manager of her office confirmed in no uncertain terms on multiple occasions that Diana is pro-choice. They have forwarded those emails to me, and I have read them. This is not mere "hearsay." . . . Because some people have stated that due to her association with St. William they assumed Diana was a Pro-Life candidate and due to the real possibility of scandal, I feel it is my responsibility to provide this clarification. This is not partisan or personal; this is based on positions and principles. Respect for the Right to Life from conception to natural death is one of the most important moral principles in our faith.

You can read the entire letter by clicking -HERE-.

The letter makes no endorsement. It merely instructs the congregation on how a candidate stands on a particular issue, the right to life, and points out that issue's importance to their faith. Thank you, Rev. McNeil, for your fine example.

If you would like to send a note of encouragement to Rev. Joel McNeil, you can contact him at pastor@saintwilliams.org.

Pro-life initiatives already come before Texas legislators

For several months, Texas Alliance for Life (TAL) has been busy with local and national elections (we hope you found our voter guide and other mailings helpful!). But we haven't missed a beat with preparations for the upcoming state legislative session, which begins January 13, in Austin. Four TAL-endorsed pro-life bills were already pre-filed, and we are pursuing others.

Choose Life License Plate to Promote Adoption as an Alternative to Abortion

Rep. Larry Phillips (R-Sherman) filed H.B. 109 to create a specialty license plate with the message "Choose Life." Texas has more than 130 specialty license plates to promote a variety of issues, including "Read to Succeed" and "Animal Friendly." This plate would promote adoption as a compassionate alternative to abortion and raise funds for nonprofit organizations to assist pregnant women considering adoption. Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. (D-Brownsville) has agreed to file a similar bill in the Senate. Should this bill become law, Texas will join 19 other states with a Choose Life license plate, including all states bordering Texas. Choose Life plates have raised more than $9 million to promote infant adoption in other states. Visit www.TXChoose-Life.org to learn more about this initiative and to sign the petition!

Pro-Life Adult Stem Cell Research Consortium

Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Lewisville) filed S.B. 73 to create an adult stem cell research consortium in Texas that would not involve human embryos or embryonic stem cells. This bill moves Texas beyond the protracted debate about the ethical problems of creating and destroying human embryos for research into the promising world of adult stem cell treatments that have already saved thousands of lives.

Health Standards for Abortion Facilities

Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston) and Rep. Frank Corte (R-San Antonio) filed companion bills S.B. 182 and H.B. 36 to improve abortion facility health standards by requiring providers to make more information available to women considering abortion, including the opportunity to see the ultrasound image of the unborn child and to hear the unborn child's heartbeat.

Defunding Planned Parenthood

TAL is also working with other organizations to "defund" Planned Parenthood at the state level and instead support funding for compassionate alternatives to abortion.

Stay updated as the session progresses! If you're not receiving periodic emails from TAL, contact us at info@texasallianceforlife.org with your name and street address (so we can include information about your particular elected officials).

Save the date: Texas Rally for Life, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009, at the Capitol in Austin

Don't miss it! Click on the image for more information about this statewide event to commemorate the 36th anniversary of the tragic Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision.

Texas Alliance for Life (TAL) is a non-sectarian, non-partisan, pro-life organization of people committed to protecting innocent human lives from conception through natural death through peaceful, legal means. TAL is a statewide organization based in the Texas capital. For more information, contact us at 512.477.1244 or info@texasallianceforlife.org.

PO Box 49137 * Austin, Texas 78765 * 512.477.1244 * TexasAllianceforLife.org