Texas Supreme Court Slams Door On Clinics’ Challenge Of Abortion Law

AP: Texas Clinics’ Lawsuit Over Abortion Ban ‘Effectively Over’ 
The Texas Supreme Court on Friday dealt essentially a final blow to abortion clinics’ best hopes of stopping a restrictive law that has sharply curtailed the number of abortions in the state since September and will now fully stay in place for the foreseeable future. The ruling by the all-Republican court was not unexpected, but it slammed the door on what little path forward the U.S. Supreme Court had allowed Texas clinics after having twice declined to stop a ban on abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy. (Weber and Stengle, 3/11)

The Texas Tribune: Remaining Challenge To Abortion Law Blocked By Texas Supreme Court
The law has a unique private-enforcement mechanism that empowers private citizens to sue anyone who, in the law’s language, “aids or abets” an abortion after fetal cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks of pregnancy. The law is designed to evade judicial review, a goal at which it has been largely successful so far. Abortion providers have tried to argue that the law is actually enforced by state officials — the clerks who docket the lawsuits, the attorney general and medical licensing officials who could discipline doctors, nurses or pharmacists who violate the law — which would give them someone to bring a constitutional challenge against in court. (Klibanoff, 3/11)

The 19th: Abortion Providers’ Main Legal Challenge To Texas’ Six-Week Abortion Ban Is Effectively Over
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to block the law. In December, it ruled that abortion providers could challenge the law, but only on very narrow grounds. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority ruled abortion providers could sue state medical licensing officials — health boards, for example — that are empowered to penalize health care providers who violate the abortion ban. But in a loss for the providers, the justices said they could not sue state officials who helped process the civil lawsuits that constitute SB 8’s main penalty. At the time, legal experts suggested that the decision significantly weakened abortion providers’ odds of eventually getting the law blocked. And the Friday decision from the Texas Supreme Court suggests they were right. (Luthra and Rodriguez, 3/11)

And in abortion news from Colorado —

The Colorado Sun: Bill Affirming Abortion Access In Colorado Clears Second Hurdle After 24 Hours Of Debate On House Floor
A bill affirming access to abortion and contraception in Colorado cleared its second hurdle Saturday morning after 24 hours of nearly continuous debate on the state House floor. ... House Bill 1279, after passing on a 37-20 vote, now advances to a final, recorded vote in the House before moving to the Senate. The measure is expected to steadily march through the Democratic-controlled legislature and onto Gov. Jared Polis’ desk. The governor has already said he will sign the bill into law. (Paul, 3/12)

FOX31 Denver: House Advances Abortion Bill After Longest Debate In Colorado History 
According to the sponsors, “The bill, declares that every individual has a fundamental right to use or refuse contraception; every pregnant individual has a fundamental right to continue the pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion; and a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent or derivative rights under the laws of the state.” The bill would also prohibit state and local entities from denying, restricting or interfering with a person’s decision about contraceptives and pregnancy. (Whitley, 3/12)

In other updates on abortion rights —

AP: Maryland House Passes Constitutional Amendment For Abortion Rights
The Maryland House voted Friday to enshrine the right to abortion in the state's constitution and for a separate measure to broaden access to providers, as supporters cited the possibility that a conservative U.S. Supreme Court could overturn or weaken abortion-rights protections. The House voted 93-42 for the constitutional amendment. If approved by the Senate, voters would have the final say in November. (3/11)

Bloomberg: Missouri Anti-Abortion Bill Sows Confusion Over Ectopic Pregnancies
State lawmakers around the country are ramping up efforts to curtail abortion in all forms. But one Missouri bill in particular is drawing ire for criminalizing the use of certain drugs to treat ectopic pregnancies, which are not viable and potentially life-threatening. Here's a quick rundown on the medical issues associated with the condition and how it fits into the current abortion debate. (Ceron and Muller, 3/11)

VeryWell Health: WHO Guidelines Encourage Telehealth Abortion Care
For the first time, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend the use of telemedicine for abortion pill prescriptions in its abortion care guidelines. Some healthcare providers say the new guidance reinforces the message that all approved forms of abortion are safe and important. “​​The WHO recommendations confirm that unnecessary regulations placed on abortion care in many settings, including the U.S., do nothing to make abortion safer,” Melissa Grant, chief operations officer of FemHealth USA at carafem, an organization that provides telehealth and in-person abortion care across the United States, wrote in an email to Verywell. (Wolters, 3/11)

Quartz: 13 Phrases US Doctors Want Removed From Our Vocabulary About Abortion
Abortion is a gynecological matter, in that it pertains the functions and health of the biologically female body and as such, says the American College of Obstetricians (ACOG), it should be discussed in accurate scientific terms. “The language we use when discussing reproductive health has a profound impact on what people hear and learn,” wrote the organization in a statement, adding that many of the common terms used to discuss abortions are rooted in anti-choice rhetoric. (Merelli, 3/11)