DALLAS, December 8, 2020 -- Human Coalition Action Texas State Director Chelsey Youman testified today before the Texas State Senate Affairs Committee on how the state can further protect the lives of the preborn and provide more resources for women experiencing unexpected pregnancies. In her testimony, Youman recognized the need for the state to continue regulating abortion but also asked the committee to seek to better understand the reasons women seek abortions. 




“We believe that there is still significant room for the State of Texas to lead in protecting lives simply through understanding why women abort their preborn children and focusing efforts on serving them with already available assistance,” said Youman in her testimony. “By working to alleviate the perceived need women have for abortion, we can serve both women and their children, enabling families to flourish.”




Youman went on to say, “There are two notable factors that women planning to abort most have in common. First, 75% of these women say that if their circumstances were different, they would prefer to keep their child and parent. Second, they are unaware that any public or private assistance for their circumstances exists. 




“Texas has made large investments in providing services to women, pregnant or not. Texas built a solid foundation on which to serve the vulnerable in our communities. Yet, with all of the available community programs in the State of Texas, approximately 55,000 preborn Texan children are still aborted every year. This loss of life is tragic. And it is avoidable.




“Human Coalition Action identified a rectifiable gap that persists. Pregnant women who are planning to abort are not aware community resources exist, nor how to locate them, and they need support in obtaining them. Pregnant women planning to abort most often choose life when they know help is available, and they begin to see hope for their situation. Reaching this specific vulnerable population, which is not yet reached, is crucial to saving lives. 




“We recommend the State of Texas continue to lead in unprecedented efforts to address the demand for abortion by creating a program to ensure every pregnant woman who is planning to abort receives a personal offer of public and private assistance from an individual with no pecuniary interest in her abortion, before her abortion. The program should enable every pregnant woman who is planning to abort a meaningful opportunity to engage support, including prenatal and postpartum care. Further, the program should include enough capacity to offer assistance to every woman planning to abort in the state. By intercepting women during the crucial pre-abortive phase and connecting them with support that our communities already provide, we can decrease abortions in our state by upwards of 30%. That would save nearly 17,000 preborn children in Texas next year. Or 750 classrooms of children.




“Texas does not have to wait for the Roe or Casey framework to be overturned to save tens of thousands of children in our state. We are not at the mercy of the courts or appointees or the president to decrease abortion rates. By simply understanding why women seek abortions and by acting strategically to reach this vulnerable population, we can protect our preborn citizens in ways yet unimagined.”




Chelsey YoumanTexas State Director and National Legislative Advisor
Chelsey Youman, Esq., serves the pro-life coalition, as well as women and their preborn children, by advocating for pro-life policies and jurisprudence; mobilizing and unifying local grassroots to strengthen the pro-life movement and its footprint; and engaging with the public to ultimately strengthen our community’s desire to enable women and protect preborn children.
Chelsey’s professional experience includes working as senior counsel and chief of staff for First Liberty Institute, concentrating on religious liberty matters and First Amendment rights. At First Liberty Institute, she litigated on behalf of and advised hundreds of clients regarding conscience rights nationwide. Chelsey has also worked in private practice, where she successfully litigated corporate fraud matters, complex commercial litigation, and consumer rights issues in both federal and state jurisdictions.
Chelsey holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Texas A&M, and a J.D. from Southern Methodist University.
Chelsey is happily married with two children. Her family is active in their church, serving in the premarital and pro-life ministries there. They enjoy traveling, adventuring, and eating good food.

https://hucoaction.org/
https://www.humancoalition.org/bios/chelsey-youman/