South Texas – Republican Governor Greg Abbott and Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke are set to debate Friday in Edinburg.
Voters are hoping both gubernatorial candidates address the complexities of abortion to give voters a clear sense of where they stand before election day.
RELATED: Watch Gov. Greg Abbott, Beto O’Rourke debate on Sept. 30, join discussion on KSAT.com
We spoke with the organizing manager of Frontera Fund RGV, a group responsible for funding out-of-state abortion travel for South Texas and Border women, and the executive director of The San Antonio Coalition for Life.
Both group leaders said their organizations were impacted after Roe v. Wade was overturned.
“We are still on a pause in terms of funding abortions and travel. We did not receive the protections that we were hoping for,” said Organizing Manager Cathy Torres, of Frontera Fund RGV.
Before Roe v. Wade was overturned, Frontera Fund RGV helped on average 30 to 40 women every month and gave each $1,800 to pay for out-of-state abortions.
However, after the law was overturned, anti-abortion groups like The San Antonio Coalition for Life started to see a slight increase in women requesting resources from pregnancy care centers.
“Anybody who comes who needs help is then referred to a place that can give them free pregnancy tests, free ultrasounds and the mentoring, which cannot be found at any other location,” said Executive Director Catherine Nix.
Coalition leaders said on average, 12 women monthly would accept resources that would lead them to save thousands of dollars over time.