A coalition of Texas businesses have said ambiguity over abortion bans in the Lone Star State is making recruitment harder, following the near all-out ban enacted by Republicans.
An amicus brief originally filed by law firm Reed Smith and signed by 40 Texas companies was filed in support of 22 women who are suing the state of Texas over its abortion laws. Numerous businesses have endorsed the letter. These include dating platforms such as Bumble and Match Group (owner of Match.com and Tinder); prominent advertising agencies Preacher and GSD&M; event organizers SXSW; and the United States Women's Chamber of Commerce, along with various Texas real-estate companies, law firms, and restaurant groups.
The companies say that Texas abortion laws render the state less appealing for families considering relocating to a place where they can comfortably start a family. The Texas Legislature, dominated by Republican representatives, passed a trigger law on abortion in 2021. It is currently illegal to have an abortion after a fetus has a heartbeat, which typically occurs around six weeks, often before the woman knows she is pregnant, unless there is a significant threat to the mother's life. The overturning of Roe vs. Wade by the Supreme Court in 2022 gave states the power to limit abortion access.
Those in Texas seeking abortion services at any point in pregnancy will now need to travel outside the state, explore options beyond U.S., resort to illegal means, or to carry the unwanted pregnancy to term. Birth control and emergency contraceptives, such as Plan B, are distinct from the medications used for inducing abortion and continue to be legally accessible.
Abortion access has been popular among voters in the wake of Roe vs. Wade ending. Numerous polls have found majority support for abortion rights in most states, red or blue, and every state-level election concerning the matter in the last year has seen voters come out strongly in support of protecting access to abortion. In the November 2022 midterms, for example, voters rejected anti-abortion ballot measures in Kentucky and Montana.
Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder and CEO of Bumble, speaks onstage at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel on September 27, 2023 in Dana Point, California. Her company has signed the amicus brief in support of numerous women fighting against the state's abortion laws. GETTY
The plaintiffs in the Zurawski vs. Texas case are former patients who say that they were denied medically necessary abortions due to physicians being scared of potential legal ramifications. The amicus brief filed in support says the ban "has impacted, and will continue to impact, companies doing business in Texas, companies thinking about doing business in Texas, employees living in or traveling to Texas, and individuals considering relocating to Texas."
The brief adds: "Because of those undeniable realities, businesses are now forced to confront this issue head on—not for moral or legal reasons—but to keep the lights on and people working, making money."
"As a multinational, publicly traded tech company led by many women, we feel it's our duty not just to provide our workforce with access to reproductive health care, but to speak out – and speak loudly – against the retrogression of women's rights," said Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder, executive chair, and former CEO of Bumble. "Texas's confusing medical exceptions increase business costs, drive away talent, and threaten workforce diversity and well-being. We must unequivocally support equal rights for our employees and customers to make their own reproductive choices."
Bumble's filing cites research indicating that almost half of young women in nine battleground states are either contemplating or actively planning a move to a state offering "comprehensive protections" for reproductive health care. The filing highlights that nearly two-thirds of college-educated workers across the nation would not contemplate employment in a state with abortion restrictions.
In 2022, research conducted by nonprofit The Institute for Women's Policy Research found that across America "currently employed women aged 15 to 44 would gain $101.8 billion in higher earnings annually" if state level restrictions on abortion didn't exist.
On December 7, Texas Governor Greg Abbott lauded Texas' "continuing economic momentum" as the Bureau of Economic Analysis revealed the Texas economy expanded "faster than the nation as a whole for the fourth quarter in a row."
"Opportunity knows no bounds in Texas, thanks to the hardworking men and women of this great state," Gov. Abbott said. "Texas' continuing economic expansion, well ahead of the United States as a whole for the fourth quarter in a row, is further proof that when given the freedom to aspire, businesses invest and people prosper. Together, we continue to build a bigger, bolder Texas of tomorrow."
Newsweek has contacted Governor Greg Abbott via email for comment on Saturday.
Do you live in a state with strict abortion laws and are considering relocating because of it? Email [email protected]