By: ADOLFO MUNIZ
By: Ford Sanders
Groups, including Texas Alliance for Life, argue these laws are clear and a lawsuit like this is to open the pathway for more and more abortions to be allowed.
“The lawsuit seeks to significantly expand the reasons to allow abortions in our state, putting the lives of thousands of unborn babies in Texas at risk every year,” said Amy O’Donnell with the organization. “The New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights is seeking to expand abortion access in Texas at the expense of unborn babies lives, while using the stories of women who tragically lost their babies due to either doctors being confused about the clarity that exists in the medical language in Texas pro-life laws, or due to fatal diagnoses for unborn babies.”
The hearing on Tuesday was just in regard to the injunction set in place by Judge Mangrum that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appealed. There isn’t expected to be a ruling on this until a couple months into next year.
By: Kevin Reece
“We are not in favor of any weakening exceptions,” said Amy O’Donnell with Texas Alliance for Life. “Children who are diagnosed with a disability in the womb or a fatal diagnosis in the womb are as worthy of protection as any other child. And we believe that the language is adequate to protect a mother’s life when a doctor needs to intervene to save her life or to avoid any risk.”
There is no timeline on when the Texas Supreme Court justices will issue a decision. They could leave the law as it is or let the injunction stand until further lower court arguments spell out more clearly what physicians can and cannot do when it comes to abortion in Texas.
By: Melanie Torre
The Texas Alliance for Life pushed back saying any clarification on the law should come from the Texas Medical Board.
“We are here today because we support the pro-life laws in Texas and we believe the language is adequate to protect a mother’s life,” said Amy O’Donnell, communications director for the Texas Alliance for Life. The organization’s policy analyst, Deirdre Cooper, said she had been in the same shoes as some of the women suing the state, but she does not regret seeing her baby’s fatal trisomy 18 diagnosis to the end—even if her son did not survive.
“Abortion robs that child of the chance at life– no matter how short. It robs the child of the chance of a miracle or the chance that the medical diagnosis is wrong,” Cooper said. “People think these are such difficult situations, but I disagree. There is nothing difficult about not killing your child– no matter his diagnosis,” she added.
By: Bayliss Wagner
The courtroom was full for the hourlong hearing, attended by many of the plaintiffs in the case as well as their husbands and some family members. Several Texas Alliance for Life representatives also attended.
By: Meredith Aldis
Statistics show the year before Roe v. Wade was overturned, more than 50,000 abortions were performed legally in Texas. After the decision, 44 were performed due to medical emergency.
“Protection for unborn babies should continue. This includes babies with a disability or fatal diagnosis in utero,” Texas Alliance for Life Amy O’Donnell said.
MORE: Austin couple travels out of Texas to get ‘medically-necessary’ abortion
The lawsuit is asking the court to clarify Texas’ abortion laws, alleging the vague language leaves doctors unable or unwilling to administer abortion care, forcing patients to seek treatment out of state or wait until their lives are in danger.
“While there are technically medical exceptions to the bans, no one knows what it means and the state won’t tell us,” Center for Reproductive Rights Molly Duane said.