Major Statewide Advertising, Public Education Campaign Targets Lies Behind Anti-Abortion Laws in Texas

Texas Freedom Network Education Fund’s Campaign Follows Report Showing Texas Tops the Nation in Anti-Abortion Laws That Conflict with Established Science

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 11, 2017

The Texas Freedom Network Education Fund today launched a major statewide advertising and public education campaign targeting the state’s ranking as worst in the nation for anti-abortion laws that contradict established scientific and medical evidence.

“This campaign is about making sure Texans know that too many lawmakers have lied to them over and over again in an effort to shame and punish women who seek an abortion,” said Kathy Miller, president of the TFN Education Fund. “In fact, legislators this year are continuing to ignore or twist scientific and medical evidence so they can pass more laws to shut down clinics and keep women from making their own health care decisions.”

The Lies into Laws campaign’s launch comes two days after the release of a report (available at gu.tt/FloutingFacts) from the Guttmacher Institute showing that Texas and Kansas top all 50 states in the number of major anti-abortion restrictions not based on rigorous science. These laws include unwarranted and costly burdens on abortion clinics and doctors as well as medically unnecessary restrictions on medication abortions. One law even requires doctors to give patients state-mandated pamphlets that falsely link abortion to cancer and future fertility problems.

Legislators this year are considering more such bills. One proposed law would protect doctors who lie to patients about their pregnancies in an effort to prevent them from choosing an abortion.

“The National Partnership for Women & Families is proud to partner with the TFN Education Fund to expand the Lies into Laws campaign in Texas,” said Sarah Lipton-Lubet, vice president at the National Partnership. “Put simply, legislating something doesn’t make it true, and abortion opponents need to know that when they lie, we are going to call them out. And we won’t stop until we get the lies out of abortion policy.”

The Lies into Laws campaign launched today will extend past the current legislative session. It will include a series of digital advertising buys on major media outlets as well as on social media platforms.

A timeline of Texas abortion laws and other information about the Lies into Laws campaign is available online at tfn.org/liesintolaws.

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The Texas Freedom Network Education Fund is a nonpartisan research and education organization that supports religious freedom, individual liberties and public schools. More information is available at tfn.org.

The National Partnership for Women & Families is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy group dedicated to promoting fairness in the workplace, reproductive health and rights, access to quality health care and policies that help women and men meet the dual demands of work and family. More information is available at NationalPartnership.org.