Noah Willoughby

Almost a year and a half after the implementation of a controversial abortion legislation in Texas, the law has received its first challenge. Kate Cox, a Dallas mother of two, received devastating news that her latest pregnancy was considered non-viable due to the development of trisomy 18, a lethal fetal anomaly. Cox’s doctors advised her that the pregnancy would be detrimental to her health and future fertility. Texas’ abortion law prevented them from performing the procedure to preserve her health. 

These extreme circumstances caused Cox to sue the State of Texas for the right to terminate her non-viable pregnancy. This led Attorney General Ken Paxton to take a  personal approach to the lawsuit, employing the full power of his office to ensure that Cox did not receive this life-saving care. According to the Texas Tribune, Travis County District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble ruled that Cox, her husband or her healthcare providers could not be held criminally liable for terminating the pregnancy. Paxton then “filed an emergency petition, asking the state Supreme Court to overturn that ruling. On Friday night, the high court put Guerra Gamble’s order on hold while they considered the merits of the case.”

Following these developments, the Texas Supreme Court ruled against Cox, who left Texas to receive the care she needed. 

This extreme disregard for the health of Texas mothers is not going away. Texas has assumed a dangerous position that will only lead to more women being harmed or killed because they are required to carry a non-viable pregnancy to term. Thankfully, Cox had the means to travel out-of-state to receive the care she needed, but not all mothers experiencing this have access to those means. This ruling will not save lives and will only serve to cause more pain and suffering to those it affects. As Texans, we must not let this grave overreach go unanswered and must take the necessary steps to ensure that all Texas mothers can receive access to this life-saving healthcare.