Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa Calls on Texas Local Elected Officials to Protect Women
AUSTIN, Texas -- Today, Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa released the following statement calling on Texas mayors and city council members to protect women:
“Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last month, Texas women have – rightfully so – felt anxiety and fear over the new, draconian, and dehumanizing laws they now must live under: a brutal abortion ban stripping Texans of their bodily autonomy; forcing Texans to carry unwanted pregnancies and give birth against their will – taking away their most fundamental rights.
“Last month, we strongly encouraged Texas District Attorneys and law enforcement officials to keep their oaths to uphold the Constitution and ensure their communities’ safety by refusing to prosecute those seeking healthcare, specifically abortion care.
“Today, we also thank the Denton City Council for, similarly, having approved a resolution de-prioritizing this brand of dangerous persecution – and we are heartbroken and outraged at the decision by El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser and other members of the El Paso City Council to vote against protecting women in El Paso last night. We expect local elected officials to fight to protect women in this state, not cower to immoral laws designed to hurt them.
“We urge all City Councils, City Managers, and Mayors across the state to follow Denton’s courageous lead and protect Texas women seeking to exercise their free bodily autonomy.
“In this dangerous moment, we owe it to our constituents who elected us to do what we were elected to do: be their voice and fight for their human rights.
“We are all working as diligently as we can to elect Democrats up and down the ballot this November so we can right the grave injustice foisted upon us by the extremist Texas Republicans – but in the meantime, we do still have power in local communities across the state to blunt the impact of this blow to our freedom.
“We can and must use that power.”