Texas abortion lawsuit picks up momentum as more women join case

Austin, Texas - Seven more women have joined the landmark lawsuit challenging Texas' abortion bans, bringing the number of plaintiffs to 22!

Amanda Zurawski, one of now 22 plaintiffs in Zurawski v. State of Texas, speaks at the launch of the lawsuit in March 2023.
Amanda Zurawski, one of now 22 plaintiffs in Zurawski v. State of Texas, speaks at the launch of the lawsuit in March 2023.  © IMAGO / USA TODAY Network

The women, who joined the Center for Reproductive Rights' case against the state Tuesday, say they were denied medically necessary abortion care for their severe and dangerous pregnancy complications.

Per the organization's press release, they were either forced to travel hundreds or thousands of miles out of state or wait until they were near death to receive care.

"Texas’s abortion ban put my health at risk and would have forced my baby to suffer if I didn’t flee the state," said Kimberly Manzano, one of the new plaintiffs. She and her husband flew to New Mexico, as the Texas Tribune reported, after learning that her baby’s organs had not developed properly. Manzano previously held anti-abortion views.

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The lawsuit, Zurawski v. State of Texas, was filed in March and is the first brought on behalf of women denied abortions since the US Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022.

The lawsuit began with five women

Molly Duane, Senior Staff Attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a press release: "This lawsuit started with five women and has grown continuously as more women come forward with their traumatic experiences."

"All we are asking for is common-sense guidance that will allow doctors to use their good faith judgment without fearing loss of their license and life in prison."

The case will be heard in the Texas Supreme Court on November 28.

Cover photo: IMAGO / USA TODAY Network

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