Texas Attorney General Appeals to State Supreme Court Over Abortion Permission

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has petitioned the Texas Supreme Court to intervene in the case of a pregnant woman who was granted permission by a lower court judge to obtain an emergency abortion. The decision marks a significant development in the ongoing debate over the state's medical exception to its controversial ban on abortions after six weeks. Paxton has threatened prosecution against anyone who helps facilitate the abortion, and in a letter to three hospitals, he warned that Thursday's ruling "will not insulate you, or anyone else, from civil and criminal liability." The woman seeking the abortion, Kate Cox, has a fatal genetic condition in her unborn baby and is at high risk for severe complications. Attorneys for Cox and the Center for Reproductive Rights have responded to Paxton's petition, calling it a disregard for Cox's life and the rule of law.