Texas' abortion 'trigger law' goes into effect

The so-called "trigger law" kicked in as a result of the Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade in June. People who break the law face life in prison and a $100,000 fine. It makes no exceptions unless a woman's life is in danger.

Texas’ law that makes abortions illegal took effect Thursday.

Both Republican and Democrat candidates for governor are now releasing political ads with abortion as a top issue.

Governor Greg Abbott’s commercials have already been on the airwaves since last week.

Beto O’Rourke’s campaign rolled out two ads to air during the Texans and Cowboys pre-season games Thursday and Friday, both focus on abortion.

"If you care about this issue, we must vote and we must vote to replace Greg Abbott," O’Rourke said.

Gov. Abbott's Democrat challenger O’Rourke held an event in Houston Thursday, while also rolling out his first two TV ads.

Both are aimed at Texas’ new abortion ban that has no exceptions for victims of rape or incest.

"From this day forward, August 25th, women across Texas are no longer free," it says in the ad.

O’Rourke talked about his hopes that what happened in Kansas could happen here.

Earlier this month, voters in the red state overwhelmingly rejected a measure allowing the legislature to tighten abortion restrictions.

"You all saw what happened in Kansas, a state Donald Trump won by a far greater margin than he won right here in Texas. A state that saw, in the middle of a summer, on a referendum issue, near presidential election turnout levels," O’Rourke said.

SMU political science professor Matthew Wilson points out that a referendum is far from a race involving candidates.

"It’s not really equivalent. That was a referendum, straight up on an abortion measure. This is a governor’s election," he said.

"We know that a wide range of factors will play into the governor’s race, things ranging from the border to tax policy, to law and order, crime, including abortion among others, and so it will be one factor of many that will come into play this fall."

Meanwhile, Gov. Abbott’s campaign rolled out a dark digital ad going after the fact O’Rourke has said he trusts women and doctors to make decisions when asked if he’ll support restrictions.

All while state Republicans cite internal polling that leads them to believe other issues will drive voters to the polls.

"New voters in Texas are voting overwhelmingly, intend to vote overwhelmingly Republican. We asked them about specific issues, especially abortion, as an issue compared to other things," Texas GOP Chairman Matt Rinaldi said. "We found that election integrity, gun rights, things like the border eclipse the abortion issue by about a 2 to 1 margin."

But with O’Rourke still trailing in the polls, Democrats will likely see abortion as an effective topic to focus on heading into November.

"I think O’Rourke and some other Democrats around the country see this as a potential lifeline, something to change the conversation away from what is otherwise a pretty negative environment for Democrats, with the Democratic president with a very low approval rating," Wilson said.

The latest UT Tyler, Dallas Morning News poll had Gov. Abbott up seven points over O’Rourke.

That same poll showed that 82% of Texans believe abortion should be allowed in cases of rape or incest.