A Texas law that bans all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy went into effect Wednesday after the Supreme Court let the midnight deadline to stop it pass.
The Court could still grant an emergency request from abortion providers to halt the law. But in the meantime, the ban — the most restrictive in the country — stands.
In their emergency appeal, abortion providers said that the ban will prevent the vast majority of Texas women seeking abortions from doing so. Many women don’t yet know that they’re pregnant after six weeks.
“If permitted to take effect, S.B. 8 would immediately and catastrophically
reduce abortion access in Texas, barring care for at least 85% of Texas abortion patients (those who are six weeks pregnant or greater) and likely forcing many abortion clinics ultimately to close,” the providers wrote.
The Texas law includes no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from incest or rape.
The Context
- Supporters of abortion rights have long feared that the 6-3 conservative Supreme Court would take a hatchet to abortion protections. Former President Donald Trump, who appointed three of them, promised to select candidates who would overturn Roe v. Wade.
- At least 12 other states have enacted abortion bans, but all of them have been blocked.
- The Texas law, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in May, was written specifically to make it difficult for its opponents to win pre-enforcement injunction. It bars Texas officials from enforcing the statute, instead empowering individuals to sue anyone who performs the procedure, or who "aids or abets" it.
- If the conservative majority does intend to dismantle the precedent set by Roe v. Wade and reaffirmed in Casey v. Planned Parenthood, the Texas law is not the Court's only bite at the apple this year. It has agreed to take up a 15-week ban out of Mississippi when the next term starts in October.
A Texas law that bans all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy went into effect Wednesday after the Supreme Court let the midnight deadline to stop it pass.
The Court could still grant an emergency request from abortion providers to halt the law. But in the meantime, the ban — the most restrictive in the country — stands.
In their emergency appeal, abortion providers said that the ban will prevent the vast majority of Texas women seeking abortions from doing so. Many women don’t yet know that they’re pregnant after six weeks.
“If permitted to take effect, S.B. 8 would immediately and catastrophically
reduce abortion access in Texas, barring care for at least 85% of Texas abortion patients (those who are six weeks pregnant or greater) and likely forcing many abortion clinics ultimately to close,” the providers wrote.
The Texas law includes no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from incest or rape.
Greg Abbott will definitely be elected president now.
ETA: Texas has been living in a post-Roe world since Casey. But it’s a little early to declare abortion over in Texas. A state court has already issued a TRO preventing some of the eager-beaver uterine guardians from filing any lawsuits, and I think it is more likely than not that this garbage statute will get struck down by the state courts because vigilante standing is not a thing. What’s going to be interesting in the days and weeks to come is whether abortion providers start shutting down on their own accord out of fear that they’re going to get sued. I think most of them have rather more spine than that, and it probably helps that they’re in blue or purple counties. You’ll have a hard time finding a jury in Austin that’s going to hold anyone liable for facilitating an abortion.
It’s almost as if Hillary was right all along.
Texas neuters Roe Vs. Wade
versus
https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/death_row/dr_scheduled_executions.html
He accomplished putting gun everywhere and do away with licensing, banned abortion, took the right to vote away from the darkies, banned masks mandates during a pandemic. The guy really has quite impressive resume, DeSantis and other aspirants have a lot of catch up work to do.
Think about the pundits who screamed “what about the women!!!1!” when it came to us withdrawing from Afghanistan.
Boy, when that fury turns upon what the Republicans have done right here in the United States, it’s going to be ugly. You just wait.
And wait.
And wait.
And wait.