Strategies for Reproductive Justice in Texas after the End of Roe v. Wade: From the Local to the Global

This two-part inaugural event of the Sissy Farenthold Fund for Peace and Social Justice brought together elected officials representing Austin and Travis County residents at the city, county, state, and federal levels—along with abortion funders and abortion rights advocates—to share strategies for securing post-Roe reproductive justice in Texas and beyond. Roundtable participants were in conversation with each other and with Professor Rachel Rebouché, a leading scholar in reproductive health and family law (and Texas native) who has written extensively about the jurisdictional complexities of—and possibilities for—the post-Roe legal and access landscapes.  

Part 1: Blue Zones, Red State: Strategies for Ensuring Abortion Access in Texas

12 PM Central on July 11th

Elected officials thought together across the city, county, state, and federal levels to discuss strategies for supporting abortion access and reproductive justice in Texas post-Roe. Participants discussed the Austin City Council’s proposed GRACE resolution and the Travis County District Attorney’s pledge not to prosecute providers or people seeking abortion, alongside consideration of what state and federal representatives might do to facilitate greater access or prevent further restrictions. A part of that discussion included the legal promises and pitfalls surrounding medication abortion, and proposals for federal interventions.  

Participants: 

Lloyd Doggett, Texas District 35 Representative, U.S. House of Representatives  

Vanessa Fuentes, District 2 Council Member, Austin City Council  

Donna Howard, Texas District 38 Representative, Texas House of Representatives 

Rachel Rebouché, Interim Dean and James E. Beasley Professor of Law, Temple University Beasley School of Law 

Moderator: Karen Engle, Minerva House Drysdale Regents Chair in Law, Co-director, Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice, The University of Texas at Austin

Part 2: Going Out of State: Strategies for Ensuring Abortion Access for Texas Residents 

5 PM Central on July 18th  

This roundtable brought those who work with Texas-based abortion funds together with advocates from neighboring jurisdictions to discuss strategies for ensuring abortion access for Texas residents in the context of the post-Roe restrictive legal landscape. Speakers brought their unique insights into how best to support abortion seekers directly and into how those in  abortion-supportive states and countries might extend services to Texas residents without overwhelming their own health care systems. Drawing on lessons learned from working under various legally restrictive abortion regimes, participants also considered movement-building strategies for a post-Roe world. 

Participants:

Jennifer Ecklund, Attorney for Texas abortion funds 

José Garza, Travis County District Attorney 

Marsha Jones, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Afiya Center (Dallas)

Rebeca Ramos Duarte, Executive Director of GIRE (Mexico City)

Rachel Rebouché, Interim Dean and James E. Beasley Professor of Law, Temple University Beasley School of Law 

Co-moderator: Karen Engle, Minerva House Drysdale Regents Chair in Law, Co-director, Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice, The University of Texas at Austin

Co-moderator: Gabriela Torres, Intern, Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice and Student at The University of Texas at Austin