On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court rejected a significant challenge to the state’s strict abortion law. The case involved women who faced serious pregnancy complications and were the first in the U.S. to testify in court about being denied abortions since Roe v. Wade was overturned.
In a unanimous decision, the all-Republican court upheld the Texas law, which critics argue lacks clarity on when medically necessary exceptions can be made.
A similar issue was raised in a previous lawsuit by Kate Cox, a Dallas mother of two. She sought legal permission for an abortion after her fetus developed a fatal condition, leading to multiple emergency room visits during her pregnancy.
Abortion rights activists have faced challenges in countering the wave of restrictions enacted in many states led by Republicans following the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe vs Wade, which had upheld abortion rights for nearly five decades.
Amanda Zurawski introduces President Joe Biden (Shane Reynolds/Getty Images)
The Texas Supreme Court clarified that the law includes exceptions broad enough to allow abortions when necessary to save the mother’s life. Justice Jane Bland, who signed the order, emphasized that doctors would be misinterpreting the law if they refused to perform such abortions.
The ruling appears to block another avenue for opponents seeking clearer guidelines on when exceptions to the law should apply, at least for the time being.
In a previous hearing in Austin, plaintiffs emotionally recounted their experiences of carrying pregnancies they knew would not result in viable babies, and continuing pregnancies that posed increasing risks to their health.
