News Coverage: Hearing in Zurawski v. State of Texas

A two-day hearing in a Texas state court in Austin was held July 19–20 in Zurawski v. State of Texas, the Center’s case seeking to clarify the “medical emergency” exception under Texas abortion law. The Center is representing 15 plaintiffs in the case—13 Texas women denied abortion care and two Texas obstetrician-gynecologists.

At the hearing, plaintiffs gave riveting testimony on their experiences being denied abortion care despite facing severe pregnancy complications that risked their health, fertility and lives. View media highlights from the hearing below, and see more coverage of the case here.

• “Texas women testify in lawsuit on state abortion laws: ‘I don’t feel safe to have children in Texas anymore,'” CBS News, 07.19.23

• “Nearly two years after Texas’ six-week abortion ban, more infants are dying,” CNN, 07.20.23

• “Doctor emotionally describes terminating pregnancy out of state during hearing over Texas abortion bans,” CNN, 07.20.23

• “Texas women suing the state over its ban on abortions,” FOX 4 KDFW, 07.19.23

• “Women who sued Texas over abortion law testify in Austin,” FOX 7 Austin, 07.19.23

• “Woman suing Texas over abortion ban vomits on the stand in emotional reaction during dramatic hearing,” NBC News, 07.19.23

• “Women denied abortions in Texas ask court for clarity over state’s exceptions to ban,” Associated Press, 07.19.23
• “Texas women denied abortions give emotional accounts in court, ask judge to clarify law,” Associated Press, 07.19.23
• “Texas abortion hearing culminates with tension and emotions high,” Washington Post, 07.20.23
• “Texas Women Denied Abortions Testify About Impact of State Bans,” Wall Street Journal, 07.18.23
• “Denied abortion for a doomed pregnancy, she tells Texas court: ‘There was no mercy’,” NPR, 07.19.23
• “Here & Now Anytime: Women testify against Texas’ strict abortion ban,” NPR, 07.20.23
• “Texas Court Deliberates on Abortion Ban,” Politico, 07.21.23
• “Texas woman vomits due to trauma of testifying on impact of extreme abortion ban,” The Guardian, 07.22.23
• “Tearful Texas doctor recalls being forced to travel out of state for abortion,” The Guardian, 07.21.23
• “Texas women give harrowing testimony on impact of extreme abortion ban,” The Guardian, 07.20.23
• “Texas abortion law trial swings to duty of doctors, hospitals and what is life-threatening,” Dallas Morning News, 07.20.23
• “‘Not just difficult, it’s excruciating’: Texas women take stand at abortion hearing,” Dallas Morning News, 07.18.23
• “Texas abortion access hearing: Here is what’s at stake,” Dallas Morning News, 07.19.23
• “Seeking to Block Texas’ Anti-Abortion Laws, Doctors and Texas Women Testify to the Grave Harm of Bans,” Ms., 07.20.23
• “Texas Women Denied Abortions Get Their Day in Court,” Ms., 07.19.23
• “Report: Texas’ strict abortion ban linked to over 10% spike in infant deaths,” Axios, 07.20.23
• “Texas Woman Is Physically Ill in Emotional Courtroom Testimony About Being Denied Abortion for Unviable Pregnancy,” People, 07.20.23
• “Texas OB-GYN: Abortion Law Means My Pregnancy ‘Belonged To The State’,” HuffPost, 07.20.23
• “Texas Denied Her Abortion Care. She Threw Up In Court Recalling Her Trauma,” HuffPost, 07.19.23
• “A First-Of-Its-Kind Abortion Lawsuit Just Held Hearings. Here’s What You Need to Know,” VICE, 07.21.23
• “‘No Mercy’: Women Denied Abortions Testify, Cry, and Vomit in Texas Court,” VICE, 07.20.23
• “The Kind of Life That Texas Really Values,” Slate, 07.22.23
• “Texas women detailed agonising pregnancies after being denied abortions. The state blames doctors,” The Independent, 07.20.23
• “Texas women suing over anti-abortion law give heartbreaking testimony in landmark case. The stress causes one to vomit on the stand,” The Independent, 07.19.23
• “Woman Challenging Texas Abortion Law: ‘I’m Just So Scared of Being Pregnant Again’,” Jezebel, 07.20.23
• “Texas Women Begin Heartbreaking Testimony in Case Against State Abortion Bans,” Jezebel, 07.19.23
• “Emotional testimonies in Abortion Ban lawsuit: Woman suing Texas vomits on the stand,” Economic Times, 07.19.23
• “Tearfully testifying against Texas’ abortion ban, three women describe medical care delayed,” Texas Tribune, 07.19.23
• “Texas women recount traumatic pregnancies in hearing over state’s abortion ban,” Houston Chronicle, 07.19.23
• “Hearing begins in Texas abortion ban lawsuit with emotionally grueling testimony,” CBS Austin, 07.19.23
• “Texas women, doctors ask Austin judge to clarify exceptions to state’s abortion ban,” Austin American-Statesman, 07.19.23
• “Testimony against Texas’ strict abortion ban unfolds in court,” WBUR, 07.20.23
• “Patients seeking clarity in medical exception to Texas abortion law testify in Travis County Court,” Texas Standard, 07.20.23
• “‘My daughter’s health didn’t really matter and that’s heartbreaking’: Travis County court hears lawsuit from Texas abortion rights advocates,” KVUE, 07.19.23
• “Travis County court hears case seeking clarity in medical exception to Texas abortion law,” KUT 90.5, 07.19.23
• “Women denied abortions despite health risks testify in Texas case,” AFP & Yahoo! News, 07.19.23
• “Abortion rights roundup,” American Independent, 07.21.23
• “First-of-its-kind abortion lawsuit hearing ends with pleas for relief from strict Texas restrictions,” Courthouse News Service, 07.20.23
• “Testifying Against Texas, Women Denied Abortions Relive the Pregnancies That Almost Killed Them,” The Intercept, 07.21.23
• “Texas OB-GYN: State Law Gives The Government Control Over My Pregnancy,” Verve Times, 07.23.23
• “‘Imprisoned in my own body,’ Women and OB-GYNs sue Texas over vague abortion ban, citing cruelty,” Hindustan Times, 07.21.23
• “Doctors Testify That Texas Abortion Law Is ‘Severe’ Following Painful Testimony From Women Denied Abortions,” Inside Edition, 07.20.23
• “Texas judge could take “weeks” to weigh in on exceptions to state abortion laws,” News Nation, 07.20.23
• “Texas Mom Shares How She Had To Watch Her Baby Suffer & Gasp For Air Due To Abortion Laws,” Romper, 07.20.23
• “Texas mother testifying at trial over the state’s abortion laws vomits while describing having to carry her baby to term after she was diagnosed with anencephaly,” Daily Mail, 07.20.23
• “Seven North Texas Women Are at the Center of the First Major Challenge To Texas’ Abortion Laws,” D Magazine, 07.18.23
• “Texas lawsuit on abortion ban goes before court,” CNHI News, 07.19.23