The Texas Heartbeat Act or Senate Bill 8 has already saved thousands of babies from death by abortion since being enacted, reports say.
Faithwire reported that Texas' Senate Bill 8, which bans abortions on pregnancies six weeks and beyond once a heartbeat has been detected, has been saving lives "every day" since it was implemented.
Data from the Texas Policy Evaluation Project (TPEP) showed a sharp decline in abortion in the Lone Star state at 50%, which is the lowest in 2013 and 2020. The data showed that SB8 exceeded the 2013 decline in abortions by 13% and the 2020 decline by 38%.
In 2013, House Bill 2 required admitting privileges from abortionists and banned abortions for 20 weeks. The pandemic saw the suspension of abortion facilities from operation when Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared it as a "non-essential" in 2020.
The TPEP data was sourced from 19 abortion clinics in the state. The said clinics provide 93% of abortions in the state.
Previously, Christianity Daily reported that Susan B. Anthony List announced that SB8 saves "132 lives per day." The law has saved 3,696 unborn in the first 29 days since it was implemented in the state. The pro-life organization made the announcement in line with the hearing held at the United States Senate against SB 8.
"While out of touch Washington Democrats hold a hearing today attacking Texas for their law protecting babies with a heartbeat...3,696 children are still alive today since the law took effect (Sep. 1), per @LozierInstitute analysis. That's enough kids to fill 82 school buses," SBA List said in September.
In addition, The Austin Chronicle highlighted that the TPEP data revealed that appointment wait times for abortion increased for the neighboring states of Texas. The wait time is reported to be longer at roughly more than two weeks for Arkansas, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.
This data is said to be an indication of "displaced" patients from Texas is "straining" the capacity of abortion facilities, which are smaller in neighboring states. The wait time of abortion facilities in neighboring states also increased from 12 to 23 days, such as in Oklahoma. But current laws in neighboring states also impose restrictions like mandatory in-person counseling prior to abortion pills being given like in Oklahoma.
Texas Right To Life Legislative Director John Seago told The New York Times that the sharp decline in abortion over a period of 50 days since SB8 took effect is "a phenomenal success for the pro-life movement." Seago pointed out this achievement is a "first" to be done by a state in the country thanks to the law.
"We are the first state to be able to enforce a heartbeat bill, and lives are being saved every day because of this work," Seago said.
Senate Bill 8 has been hunted down by President Joe Biden's administration in various ways from passing legislation to codify Roe v. Wade spearheaded by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi through the Women's Health Protection Act, to the filing of a lawsuit in the United States Supreme Court to block its implementation several times.
