Live from the Texas Democratic Party Convention: Abortion and Our Freedoms in 2024

Live Podcast Recording at State Convention!

Progress Texas is proud to announce that we will be recording our podcast LIVE at the Democratic State Convention in El Paso! The “Progress Texas Happy Hour Podcast Live Recording: Abortion and Our Freedoms in 2024” features panelists including Reproductive Rights Advocate Amanda Zurawski, Michelle Vallejo, Democratic Nominee for Congress, TX-15, and Wendy Davis, Senior Advisor, Planned Parenthood Texas Votes. 

Executive Director Kathleen Thompson will host the discussion on June 6 from 5pm to 6pm MT in Juarez Room B of the El Paso Convention Center. RSVP here, and we’ll see you there!

Featured Speakers:

Reproductive Rights Advocate Amanda Zurawski

Amanda Zurawski, from Austin, is a lead plaintiff in the case Zurawski v. State of Texas with the Center for Reproductive Rights. She was denied abortion care after she experienced preterm pre-labor rupture of membranes (PPROM) at 18 weeks of pregnancy. She suffered through emergency room visits, infections, and even sepsis, a life-threatening condition. She ultimately survived, but the infection caused one of her fallopian tubes to become permanently closed, compromising her future ability to have children. Since then, she has stood as an ever-brace face against attacks on reproductive rights, steadfast in her court case and support for abortion access. Amanda Zurawski and 21 other plaintiffs filed suit in March against the State of Texas to “clarify the scope of the ‘medical emergency’ exceptions” under Texas extreme abortion bans.

Michelle Vallejo, Democratic Nominee for Congress, TX-15

Michelle Vallejo is a small business owner and fierce community advocate from South Texas. Vallejo took home 75% of the votes in the March primary election rematch for TX-15, winning back her historically blue district and running on bringing down healthcare costs, securing good-paying jobs and a thriving economy, and protecting reproductive rights. This is a personal fight for her. Her mother, who passed aways several years ago, was forced to travel to Mexico for healthcare due to lack of options here in Texas. 

“South Texas deserves a champion that will fight for them every single day in Congress to lower costs for families, expand access to affordable and quality health care, protect Social Security and Medicare, and defend reproductive freedom.” – Michelle Vallejo for Congress

Wendy Davis, Senior Advisor, Planned Parenthood Texas Votes

Former Texas State Senator and Founder of the non-profit Deeds Not Words, Wendy Davis is renowned as a passionate advocate for women in social, economic and political spheres. Once a teen mom trying to escape the cycle of poverty, she is now an established leader in the national conversation surrounding women’s leadership and issues which threaten our individual opportunities. Davis founded Deeds Not Words to activate young women as advocates for gender equity because she has always believed that “talk is cheap” and that only through our concerted efforts and actions will we create the gender equal world that our daughters and granddaughters deserve.

What’s Next:

• RSVP for the Live Recording here!
• Protect abortion rights and leave a comment to the Texas Medical Board using our sample comment here!
• Attend the TMB’s next meeting on June 20-21! There, they will discuss rule changes that impact how doctors can protect patient lives and reproductive rights.