East Texas Rep’s bill to classify abortions as murder withdrawn

TYLER – East Texas State Rep. Brent Money took to social media on Tuesday to express his disappointment that HB 2127 won’t be getting a public hearing this session.

According to our news partner KETK, the bill, which would amend the Texas Penal Code’s definition of homicide to include all abortions, was initially scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday but was then pulled from the schedule.

Abortion was made illegal in Texas in 2022 when the state’s “trigger law” went into effect following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overruling of Roe V. Wade.

On Monday, Money took to X and claimed that he was told the bill was pulled by the office of the Texas Speaker of the House which claimed it was pulled by Rep. John Smithee, the chair of the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence.

“Every human being is created in God’s image and should be entitled to equal protection under the law from conception until natural death. While it is disappointing that HB 2197 will not get a hearing this session, the issue of protecting human life at all stages of development is gaining momentum across Texas. I ask all Christians and pro-life Texans to pray. Pray for hearts and minds to be changed. Pray for opportunities to have meaningful discussions with those who disagree. Pray for men and women of courage to be elected to office. Pray that America will one day see abortion as the wretched scourge that it is.”
State Rep. Brent Money

“To all the pro-life activists who are traveling to Austin, I’m sorry. Chairman Smithee has told me it was the Speaker’s office, and the Speaker’s office has told me it was Chairman Smithee’s decision,” Money said on Monday. “I don’t care who decided to do it, but granting this bill a hearing and then yanking it the night before is wrong.”