Austin, TX –– “In the first lawsuit of its kind since Roe v. Wade was overturned, a husband seeks damages from women who allegedly helped his ex-wife obtain the medications to terminate her pregnancy.” [Texas Tribune, March 30, 2023]  

Avow Texas Policy Director Yaneth Flores issued the following statement:

“We know that the end goal of anti-abortion extremists is a nationwide ban on abortion and the criminalization of people needing abortion care and those who support them. Since the enactment of SB 8 in September 2021, Texans have been navigating a post-Roe world as well as a new dangerous legal landscape where any private citizen has been deputized to enforce this outrageous ban in civil courts.

Now, this lawsuit tries to hold people liable for providing a pregnant friend information protected by the 1st Amendment about how to safely self-manage her abortion. Something she herself cannot be sued or prosecuted for and that is not criminal.

This is another attempt to confuse Texans and intimidate abortion funds who recently had their right to provide information and travel assistance to Texans seeking abortion care recognized by a Federal Judge.

We thank Representative Erin Zweiner for filing HB 5071 hours before the bill filing deadline. HB 5701 would protect an individual’s private information related to pregnancy loss. Pregnancy outcomes should not be criminalized and Texans’ private information should not be weaponized against them for this purpose.”

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