November 19, 2025 · View in browser

ProPublica has found multiple cases of women with underlying health conditions who died when they couldn’t access abortions. Tierra Walker, a 37-year-old mother, was told by doctors there was no emergency before preeclampsia killed her.

ProPublica reporters Kavitha Surana, Lizzie Presser and Cassandra Jaramillo have been investigating how abortion bans lead to preventable deaths. Their “Life of the Mother” series, which earned the Pulitzer Prize for public service, revealed that five women — three in Texas alone — had died after they were unable to access standard reproductive care under the new bans. This week, Surana and Presser published a new investigation that tells the story of a Texas woman named Tierra Walker. Here’s what you need to know:

Access Denied: Walker asked doctors about terminating her high-risk pregnancy to save her life, but they assured her she would be OK. Then she died of preeclampsia.

When Health Exceptions Fail: ProPublica found multiple cases in states with abortion restrictions where women with underlying health conditions died after they were unable to end their pregnancies.

A Growing Risk: Women are entering pregnancy sicker, and blood pressure disorders are most prevalent in states with restrictive abortion laws.

Doctors involved in Walker’s care did not respond. The hospitals she visited did not comment on her care despite permission from her family.

This week, Milwaukee-based ProPublica reporter Megan O’Matz published a story that revealed how the most powerful Republican in Wisconsin, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, has withheld support for a bill that would ensure vulnerable women have access to potentially lifesaving care for up to a year after giving birth.

The bill, O’Matz reported, had support from anti-abortion Republicans in the state, and 48 other states have ensured this expanded Medicaid access to low-income new moms. But Vos is single-handedly holding up the bill’s passage, keeping the limit to two-months post-birth. According to insiders at the Wisconsin Capitol, Vos hasn’t allowed a vote on the Senate-approved bill or the Assembly version, burying it deep in a committee that barely meets: Regulatory Licensing Reform.

Reached by phone, Vos declined to discuss the issue with ProPublica and referred questions to his spokesperson, who then did not respond to calls or emails. Explaining his opposition, Vos once said, “We already have enough welfare in Wisconsin.”

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