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In Dallas for the 31st annual Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas awards ceremony where $3.2 million was raised, Cecile Richards said Wednesday that the debate over new abortion restrictions has “lit a fire” in state politics.
Richards sat down with The Dallas Morning News before the event to discuss Senate Bill 8, also known as the “Heartbeat Act,” which bans abortions at approximately six weeks, once fetal cardiac activity is present.
The law went into effect on Sept 1.
Richards, the daughter of former Texas Gov. Ann Richards, served as the Planned Parenthood president from 2006 to 2018. She currently serves on the Ford Foundation board of trustees and resides in New York.
Richards said it’s time for Texans to take action.
“Every person in this state has lost the access to a right that they’ve had for nearly 50 years, so it’s a very different circumstance now, and of course the whole country is watching to see what happens in Texas because there are other states that potentially will follow suit,” Richards said.
She said it’s important to point out that many Texans did not want the abortion ban.
“This is not what Texans want and that’s what I think is so important because of course as a Texan I try to explain to people what you are seeing happen here is not because of the people of Texas, it is because of crass partisan politics by the Republican leadership,” Richards said.
Richards placed blame directly on Republican leadership and Gov. Greg Abbott, who is up for reelection in 2022.
“I think the governor’s ignorance about rape, about women’s health, in general, is case No. 1 why it’s inappropriate for politicians to be making health care decisions for individual people about their pregnancies,” Richards said.
Earlier this month during a press conference, when asked why SB 8 did not include an exemptions for rape or incest, the governor said that he was working to eliminate rape in the state.
“SB 8 was not something that came out of a groundswell of Texans wanting to make abortion illegal in the state, this in fact was done sheerly for political reasons by the governor, and by the Republican-led Legislature,” Richards said.
During the event, Richards was asked on stage about her future plans, and a few people in the crowd yelled before she could answer, “Run for governor!” Richards, however, did not let on that she had any plans to do so.
Richards said the midterm elections are going to be critical in the state because SB 8 has “lit a fire here in Texas.”
Richards recently retweeted a tweet by Marc Benioff who said he’d help employees exit Texas.
“I think we got to stand and fight,” Richards said. “I do think there is a role for corporations and companies and employers to take a stand.”
Richards said that Roe vs. Wade has essentially been eliminated in Texas, but has a far-reaching impact beyond the state. Particularly, looking to the U.S. Supreme Court, Richard said she hopes justices take their responsibilities seriously.
“If this court is serious about precedent and about understanding that, fundamentally, they are trying to take away a right that women have had for nearly 50 years. That to me is not a decision made lightly, And I hope that this court understands their responsibility not to their own personal, you know, religious or political views, but to the good of the people of this country,” Richards said.
Richards did offer some solutions for those who want to repeal SB 8. She said organize and get people registered to vote to change “the face of power in the state.”
“It means we have to organize, no one’s coming to save us, you know, we’re gonna have to.”