Ken Paxton has been a staunch legal and political defender of Texas’ abortion bans. Maternal deaths have risen by at least 56% since their enactment.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2026

TEXAS — Amplify Legal Tuesday filed a lawsuit against Texas AG Ken Paxton, Texas Medical Board ED Stephen Brint Carlton, Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales, the University of Texas Science Center at San Antonio, and three doctors for their contributions to the preventable death of Tierra Walker — a San Antonio mother who was unable to receive lifesaving abortion care after suffering from preeclampsia and died due to Texas’ abortion ban in 2024.

This lawsuit comes amid a recent announcement that the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee (MMMRC) will withhold its report on maternal deaths — and omit data from the first two years since Roe’s fall — until after the Midterm Election in November, in which Ken Paxton is a candidate for US Senate. 

The Reality of Texas’ Abortion Ban:

Since SB 8 went into effect in 2021:

• Maternal deaths in Texas have increased by 56%
• Sepsis rates have risen by 50%
• Infant mortality has gone up by 13%

Background on Tierra Walker’s case:

After being denied care by over 90 providers, the San Antonio mother who died due to Texas’ abortion ban was afraid to order pills that could have potentially saved her life due to misinformation about who gets criminalized under Texas law

“In her condition, Walker couldn’t fathom leaving the state. When her aunt suggested ordering abortion medication online, Walker was worried she could go to jail. She was spending so much time in the hospital; what if she got caught taking the pills?”  [ProPublica, November 25, 2025]

Avow Texas Chief Executive Officer raven e. Freeborn (they/them) issued the following statement:

“Ken Paxton and the other named parties in this lawsuit are the reason why Tierra Walker’s son no longer has his mother. A lawsuit barely scratches the surface of the vindication her family and community deserve, but it is a strong beginning. 

“Tierra Walker’s death is a direct result of Texas’ abortion ban. Walker died after being ignored by over 90 doctors who refused to intervene and save her life amid a state-manufactured public health and Black maternal health crisis caused by Texas’ abortion bans. 

“Deaths like Tierra Walker’s inflict scars down to the bone and beyond. The absence of our mothers alters entire families for generations. And even when we want to grow our families, the joy of those pregnancies is quickly replaced with fear and anxiety that we might lose our lives.

“These intersections of injustice and state-sanctioned violence are not coincidences. 

“We must take action for Texas mothers and birthing people — and right now, we have an opportunity to do so by demanding that the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee release its delayed report on maternal deaths in Texas and show the full picture of Texas’ maternal health crisis by including every year of vital data since Roe’s fall.

“Our movement will build power for a Texas where justice governs at the center.”

Avow Texas, along with the Maternal Health Equity Collaborative and other reproductive rights partners, will attend the MMMRC’s first public meeting since the announcement of the maternal death report’s delay. During the meeting, advocates will urge the immediate release of the report and voice concerns about the committee’s effectiveness in protecting pregnant Texans.