An anti-abortion monument is one step closer to being installed at the Texas Capitol after the Texas House on Tuesday approved a resolution authorizing its construction.
The resolution, authored by Republican Sen. Tan Parker of Flower Mound, would authorize the State Preservation Board to approve the installation of the "Texas Life Monument," an eight-foot statue depicting "a mother with an unborn child cradled in a world-shaped womb" just north of the state Capitol. The measure passed the House on a vote of 98 to 44 after previously clearing the Senate earlier this month.
The proposal now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott for approval.
Republican Rep. Caroline Harris Davila of Round Rock said the statue would be fully funded by private donors, not taxpayer dollars – and funding has already been raised, according to Harris Davila.
"The monument would serve as a peaceful space for families to honor motherhood, the strength of women, and the hope and beauty of human life," Harris Davila said.
The monument would be a replica of the "National Life Monument," created by artist Timothy Schmalz. It would be added to the collection of monuments surrounding the Capitol, which commemorate a range of historical figures and events from Texas history.
The monument's passage comes as Texas maintains a near-total ban on abortion, implemented after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. State law prohibits nearly all abortions, with no exceptions for cases of rape or incest.
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