Senator Hughes weighs in on Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade

EAST TEXAS — The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that had provided a constitutional right to abortion. Friday’s ruling is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states. Senator Bryan Hughes, of Mineola, authored the “Heartbeat Bill” which requires that a physician performing an abortion first check for a fetal heartbeat. If there is a heartbeat, the physician may not abort the child. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill into law in May.

Hughes released the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s RvW decision: “Today, the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed our nation’s constitutional foundation of respect for life by finally correcting a decision that has wrongly ruled for almost 50 years. I commend the Court for refusing to be bullied and for deciding the outcome based on the rightful application of the law rather than on fealty to a lawless ruling. This historic decision marks the end of a terrible chapter in our history. By extending equal protection of the law to the most innocent, the Court today brings us closer to living out the true meaning of the American creed. Texas stands with 12 other states with trigger laws already in place to immediately begin saving lives now that Roe v. Wade is set aside. But there is more work to be done. Texas will continue to lead the way in this post-Roe world. In addition to existing benefits to help mothers and children, we have allocated $100 million solely to help expectant mothers and adoptive parents. The program provides everything from parenting classes to car seats and proves that we can save the life of the unborn child while we love, respect, and support the mother. We will not forget the 62 million Americans who were denied life before their first breath. With the travesty of Roe v. Wade finally on the ash heap of history, more little lives can be saved, and more mothers can be helped.”