Pro-Life State? Abbott Boasts Business While Texas Moms Suffer And Die

Business Booms, Mothers Die: The grim reality of Greg Abbott’s Texas.

Yesterday, Governor Greg Abbott boasted on social media about how great Texas is for business. He said that Texas is “the best state for business” and that our state is the “economic envy of the nation.”

Also, yesterday, the Texas Women’s Health Caucus released a statement on the 2024 Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee report.

The report reveals alarming increases in Texas’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR), rising from 17.2 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2019 to 37.7 in 2021. Even without COVID-related deaths, the MMR remains troubling at 24.2. Non-Hispanic Black women are disproportionately affected, experiencing the highest rates of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) at 134.4 cases per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations, compared to 82.2 for Hispanic women and 72.6 for non-Hispanic white women.

It is utterly tone-deaf for Governor Greg Abbott to boast about Texas being the “economic envy of the nation” while women in this state die at rates that rival those in some of the poorest countries in the world. His social media victory lap about business, he completely ignores the horrifying reality that Texas is one of the worst places in the country for maternal health.

Here are some of the countries which have a lower MMR than Texas:

• Bangladesh

• Guyana

• North Korea

• Guatemala

• Iraq

• Libya

• Honduras

• Ecuador

• Mexico

• Jordan

• Cuba

• Tunisia

• Syria

This isn’t even the entire list (see that here).

Ask yourself: What kind of leadership celebrates corporate success while turning a blind eye to the growing maternal mortality crisis?

How can Abbott brag about business when Black women in Texas are facing shockingly high rates of maternal morbidity, with 134.4 cases per 10,000 births, more than any other group?

For a governor to be so focused on profit and corporate climate while the women who give birth in this state are dying is not just insensitive—it’s dangerous.

Pro-life?

In another report from WFAA yesterday, a recent study found food insecurity in Texas is now the worst in the country.

Under the Republican “pro-life” agenda in Texas, women, especially women of color, are dying at rates similar to third-world countries.

Not only are Texas women dying at alarming rates, but the state also fares poorly when it comes to the health of babies. Texas has one of the worst preterm birth rates in the country and ranks 46th in infant mortality.

Under the “pro-life” agenda in Texas, guns are killing children in unprecedented numbers.

Just a few other statistics for you:

• Texas has the highest uninsured rate, with 17% of the population lacking access to health insurance. Source.

• 208 counties and 7.1 million Texans live in primary healthcare deserts. Source.

• Texas has a preterm birth rate of 11.3%, higher than the national average. Source.

• 21% of pregnant Texans lack adequate prenatal care. Source.

• 1,000 Texans die every year because of inadequate access to healthcare. Source.

• Life expectancy in Texas is 76.5, lower than the national average. Source.

• Texas seniors are experiencing higher rates of non-communicable and often preventable diseases than other states. Source.

• Over 6% of senior citizens do not seek healthcare treatment when they get sick because of healthcare costs in Texas. Source.

• Texas has the fifth highest healthcare costs in the nation. Source.

• Texas is the third worst state for children’s healthcare. Source.

• We are in the 48th place for the percentage of obese children. Source.

• 49th place for the percentage of children with excellent or perfect teeth. Source.

• More than one million low-income children lost Medicaid last spring. Source.

• Texas accounts for 22% of all uninsured children across the US. Source.

• Texas has the highest rate of uninsured children in America. Source.

But Texas is the greatest place in the world for business.

Yeah, sure. Corporations move here from other states because of the low franchise tax rate (business tax). CEOs prosper. They grow their wealth and buy off the Republican government to pass their desired bills.

Texas has the lowest hourly wages, and our education ranks 43rd in per-student funding for K-12 education.

Greg Abbott’s corporate-friendly policies, especially the lack of Medicaid expansion and healthcare inequities, directly impact Texans’ ability to thrive, especially in education and health, undermining any claims of Texas being the country’s “economic envy.”

While Abbott is busy boasting business growth, Texas is cultivating an undereducated and unhealthy workforce. The lack of investment in education means that students are not receiving the foundational skills they need to be competitive in a modern economy.

The truth is that Texas workers are struggling. The state’s refusal to expand Medicaid means millions of Texans lack access to healthcare, leading to a workforce that’s burdened by untreated chronic conditions. Low wages and the lack of healthcare and educational resources leave many Texans underprepared to thrive in the businesses Abbott claims are booming.

In the long run, this isn’t sustainable.

Greg Abbott and Texas Republicans are willing to sacrifice the very future of Texas for one thing: money.

Texas Republicans have proven time and again that they are more than willing to turn our state into a dystopian third-world nightmare, all for the sake of padding their pockets and keeping corporate donors happy. Greg Abbott and his allies thrive on a system where corporations get richer. At the same time, regular Texans are left to fend for themselves in a crumbling healthcare system, overcrowded schools, and unsafe communities.

Make no mistake—this isn’t an accident. Republicans in Texas have created this crisis by refusing to invest in healthcare, underfunding public education, and cutting social safety nets that millions of Texans rely on to survive.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Texas can flip the script, starting with flipping the Texas House in November.

We have the power to end Greg Abbott’s reign of terror.

The Texas House can check Abbott’s power, but only if we elect leaders committed to fighting for people over profits. We need representatives who will work to expand healthcare, fully fund our schools, and ensure that the Texans who make this state run—teachers, nurses, and small business owners—can actually thrive.

If we organize, if we vote, if we fight for change, we can shut them down.

The path to ending this madness is clear. All we have to do is flip the Texas House. We can stop Greg Abbott’s dystopia in its tracks, but only if we show up, vote, and send a message that Texans won’t stand for this anymore. This November, let’s show them what people power looks like. We’ve had enough of their greed. It’s time for a Texas that works for all of us—not just the richest among us.

Just vote.

• October 7: Last day to register to vote.

• October 21: First day to early vote.

• October 25: Last day to apply for a mail-in ballot.

• November 1: Last day to early vote.

• November 5: Election day!

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