Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton closed his offices early Monday to commemorate the second anniversary of Roe v. Wade’s reversal — a day his office also celebrates as a milestone in the fight to protect the unborn.
The June 24 observance, formally recognized as Sanctity of Life Day, commemorates the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and ended federal protections for abortion after 49 years.
The Attorney General’s Office began the tradition that same day in 2022, closing at noon each year to memorialize the “tens of millions of children killed by abortions” during Roe’s nearly five-decade reign.
“On Sanctity of Life Day, we reaffirm that every human life is valuable and worthy of protection from the moment of conception,” Paxton said. “Roe v. Wade‘s legacy of death must not be repeated, and while I am Attorney General, Texas will always protect the unborn and uphold our pro-life laws.”
The 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization returned abortion regulation to the states. Since then, Texas has enacted and defended some of the strongest pro-life laws in the nation.
Paxton’s statement underscores his office’s ongoing efforts to defend Texas’ pro-life laws. Those efforts include blocking the City of San Antonio from using taxpayer funds to support out-of-state abortion travel and mounting legal challenges to expand abortion access.
The observance reflects the state’s continued leadership in the national pro-life movement since the Supreme Court returned authority over abortion to the states in 2022.