Why Texas is unlikely to let voters decide on abortion access

Thousands of people walk in an abortion rights march near downtown San Antonio on June 24. (Credit: Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas Tribune)

Despite the state’s near-total ban on abortion, just 12% of Texans think abortion should be illegal in all cases, according to an August poll from The Texas Politics Project. One Texas Democrat hopes to give voters more of a say in abortion policy.

State Rep. James Talarico, D-Round Rock, filed a joint resolution that would bar the Legislature from restricting abortion access any further. Talarico’s proposal is different from a normal bill filed for the Legislature to consider. Joint resolutions, once passed by the Legislature by a two-thirds majority, must be approved by Texas voters in a statewide election as a ballot proposition before they directly amend the state’s constitution.