AUSTIN, Texas — On Tuesday, the Texas Supreme Court heard from some of the women who are suing the State of Texas over the state's abortion law. The court heard arguments on both sides of this issue.
The case goes back to when State District Court Judge Jessica Mangrum granted an injunction in August that allowed for abortions with certain medical exemptions to continue in Texas.
It was a packed courtroom as lawyers from both the state and the Center for Reproductive Rights argued their cases. The Attorney General's Office maintains that any issues caused for these women should be taken up with their doctors, saying the law is clear.
But what the plaintiffs are asking for is clarity in the law, saying it is far too vague.
Lauren Miller and her doctor, Dr. Austin Dennard, were both patients who needed abortions. They are plaintiffs in this case.
"She has gotten me through two pregnancies, one of which was clearly horribly traumatic. And she is standing here right beside me. That is a good doctor. That is not the person I should be suing here. I place the blame firmly at the feet of the state," Miller said.
"He said, in every appointment, 'If your pregnancy gets fatal, my hands are tied. I can't do anything for you. The law is written. I work in the law, so I read it.' So there was no point to sue the doctor because then it would have just wasted more time," said plaintiff Kimberly Manzano regarding her own appointments.
Groups, including Texas Alliance for Life, argue these laws are clear and a lawsuit like this is to open the pathway for more and more abortions to be allowed.
"The lawsuit seeks to significantly expand the reasons to allow abortions in our state, putting the lives of thousands of unborn babies in Texas at risk every year," said Amy O'Donnell with the organization. "The New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights is seeking to expand abortion access in Texas at the expense of unborn babies lives, while using the stories of women who tragically lost their babies due to either doctors being confused about the clarity that exists in the medical language in Texas pro-life laws, or due to fatal diagnoses for unborn babies."
The hearing on Tuesday was just in regard to the injunction set in place by Judge Mangrum that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appealed. There isn't expected to be a ruling on this until a couple months into next year.