Texas Woman Leaves State for Abortion Amid Legal Battle Over Medical Exemption

A Texas woman is traveling out-of-state to receive an abortion after the Texas Supreme Court halted a lower court’s decision granting her an exemption from the state’s abortion ban.

Details: Kate Cox is 20 weeks pregnant with a fetus diagnosed with Edwards’ syndrome, a genetic defect that results in the fetus not surviving the full term at least 95% of the time. Cox filed a lawsuit last week seeking an emergency abortion, stating that doctors had informed her that carrying the fetus to term would put her future fertility at risk. A judge ruled in her favor, but Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened in the case and asked the state Supreme Court to rule on the issue. The state Supreme Court paused the lower court’s decision on Friday night. Now, Cox is reportedly leaving Texas to seek the procedure in another state.

How the Media Covered It: Left-rated outlets are covering developments to the story extensively. Newsweek (Center bias) reported that Texas’ abortion ban does not have exemptions for medical needs. That is incorrect, since the ban contains an exception for situations involving a “life-threatening physical condition aggravated by, caused by, or arising from a pregnancy that places the female at risk of death or poses a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function unless the abortion is performed or induced.” In this particular case, Paxton is arguing that Cox’s medical needs have not been adequately demonstrated to qualify for this exemption.