Texas’ strict abortion ban is being attacked by opponents. They hope that consumers will press corporations to support the fight against an increase in restrictions.
The digital and television ads, which were launched this week by American Bridge 21st Century and Corporate Accountability Action, are a reminder of AT&T’s support for Texas Republican legislators. The campaign is being expanded to Florida, where has introduced a similar proposal for abortion.
Abortion rights supporters in Texas are confronting the nation’s strictest abortion law in one of the most populous states, as well as a conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court and a wave of GOP lawmakers who want their states to be next. Democrats and their allies are trying to turn frustration into leverage.
“This moment in America is where there is no middle ground. Cecile Richards, former president of Planned Parenthood, and current cochair of American Bridge 21st Century, stated that you can’t stand on the sidelines.
The Texas law significantly slowed down the number of abortions. Clinics had to refuse hundreds of women, and patients were forced to seek out the procedure elsewhere. This has led to a growing backlog.
Before Sept. 1, Texas was home to approximately two dozen abortion clinics. According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, at least six clinics performed abortions again after the law was blocked by a federal judge on Wednesday. An appeals court granted the restriction to be resumed pending further arguments. The administration of Biden has until Tuesday to reply.
Texas ads target AT&T. Corporate Accountability Action discovered that AT&T donated more than $645,000 to 22 legislators who supported the measure in the last two years. Dallas-based telecom giant AT&T also donated thousands of dollars to Democratic lawmakers.
The group in Florida is shaming corporations like Walt Disney for their $262,000 donation to the legislators who supported the proposed abortion restrictions. NBC Universal donated $83,500 to these legislators and $88,000 to Texas lawmakers, CAA discovered.
AT&T stated that it did not endorse Senate Bill 8 or take a position on abortion. It also gave money to both the legislative and executive branches.
Representatives from NBC and Walt Disney, who have donated to Democrats at various times, didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
These two groups plan to eventually expand the campaign to the dozen other states where legislators have indicated that they would like to create their own laws from the Texas model.
Texas prohibits abortions after cardiac activity is detected. This is usually six weeks before most women realize they are pregnant. Its unique enforcement mechanism prevented it from being blocked at the Supreme Court. Private citizens have the ability to enforce the law through civil lawsuits that can bring them $10,000.
Some success stories show that corporations have been successful in urging states to repeal controversial laws. After passing a law that prohibited transgender individuals from using the bathroom that is compatible with their identities in 2016, North Carolina lost $3.76B in business. This pressure led to its repeal.
The effect of GOP-backed election overhaul bills, which critics called attempts at suppressing Democratic votes, was less noticeable this year. Republicans like Georgia Governor. Brian Kemp remained firm on the measure, even though Major League Baseball decided to move the 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta.
After the Texas abortion law went into effect, some companies, such as the customer-management company Salesforce, Bumble, and Lyft and Uber, protested it.
However, Elon Musk CEO of Tesla didn’t let that stop him from announcing on Thursday that he would relocate the headquarters of the electric carmaker from San Francisco Bay to Austin. Austin is a tech hub and capital of Texas.
Although the company did not immediately respond to a Friday request for comment, Musk tweeted on Sept. 2 that he believed “government should seldom impose its will upon people, and when doing so should strive to maximize their collective happiness.” However, I prefer to remain out of politics.
Texas Right to Life, an anti-abortion group, pointed out that donations by companies might not be made for all candidates. Kimberlyn Schwartz, spokeswoman for Texas Right to Life, stated that she hopes people and companies in Texas won’t accept ‘cancel culture’.
Advocates for abortion rights claim that the companies they are calling out support politicians who oppose the messages corporations use to lure customers.
Richard stated, “You cannot on one hand declare ’empower women’ and on the other, have your political funds going towards people who are literally disempowering women.” It’s time for this kind of accountability.