From The Texas Newsroom:
The Texas Senate on Thursday approved a proposal to construct a monument honoring unborn children on the Capitol grounds.
The resolution, authored by Sen. Tan Parker, a Republican from Flower Mound, would pave the way for the creation of the “Texas Life Monument,” a statue depicting “a mother with an unborn child cradled in a world-shaped womb” that would be installed just north of the Capitol building
According to Parker, the statue would “provide a communal space for honoring the dignity of human life and the role of mothers.”
“Values that resonate deeply with so many Texans,” he added.
This is the second time Parker has pushed for the statue’s installation at the Capitol. In 2023, a similar proposal passed out of the Senate, but eventually died in the House.
The monument would be a replica of the “National Life Monument,” created by artist Timothy Schmalz. It would join dozens of other monuments and memorials already on Capitol grounds, commemorating figures and events from Texas and American history.
The resolution requires the monument be fully funded by private donors and installed “on a timely basis.” Ashley Sosa, a communications associate for Texas Alliance for Life, told lawmakers during a Senate committee hearing last month that the statue was already “completed and ready for installation.”
The approval comes as Texas continues to enforce some of the nation’s most restrictive abortion laws following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Under current law, nearly all abortions are banned, with no exceptions for rape or incest. The only exception — to save the life of the pregnant person — has been widely criticized by physicians for its lack of clarity.
An identical proposal is currently making its way through the Texas House. Both resolutions would need to be approved before the statue can be installed by the State Preservation Board.
