Short Window Opens For Early Abortions To Resume In Texas
A judge issued a temporary restraining order on a 1925 state law that would ban the procedure following the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade. Abortions can only be performed at clinics named in the suit and the controversial law banning the procedure after 6 weeks remains in place. Texas' attorney general will appeal.
The Texas Tribune:
Abortions Up To Six Weeks Of Pregnancy Can Resume In Texas For Now
Abortions up to about six weeks in pregnancy can resume at some clinics in Texas for now after a Harris County District Court judge granted a temporary restraining order that blocks an abortion ban that was in place before Roe v. Wade. In the ruling issued Tuesday, Judge Christine Weems ruled that the pre-Roe abortion ban “is repealed and may not be enforced consistent with the due process guaranteed by the Texas constitution.” “It is a relief that this Texas state court acted so quickly to block this deeply harmful abortion ban,” Marc Hearron, senior counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a press release. “This decision will allow abortion services to resume at many clinics across the state, connecting Texans to the essential health care they need. Every hour that abortion is accessible in Texas is a victory. (Perez-Castells, Klibanoff and Douglas, 6/28)
Houston Chronicle:
Judge Blocks 1925 Texas Abortion Law, Allowing Providers To Offer The Procedure For Two Weeks
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told attorneys for the plaintiffs that he planned to appeal the decision to the Texas Supreme Court. "These laws are 100 percent in effect and constitutional," Paxton tweeted Tuesday. "The judge’s decision is wrong. I’m immediately appealing. I’ll ensure we have all the legal tools to keep TX pro-life!" (Goldenstein, 6/28)
In other abortion news from Texas —
The Guardian:
Texas Sheriff Says He ‘Will Not Persecute’ Those Seeking An Abortion
A Texas sheriff, whose beat largely includes the city of San Antonio, has declared he would not be pursuing those in his jurisdiction who choose to get an abortion after the supreme court scrapping of federal abortion rights. In a Facebook post he shared on Tuesday, Bexar county sheriff Javier Salazar wrote of his “two beautiful and intelligent” daughters, whom he said have a right to choose what to do with their own bodies. (Salam, 6/29)
Dallas Morning News:
Denton City Council Passes Resolution To Ask Police To De-Prioritize Texas Abortion Laws
The Denton City Council passed a resolution late Tuesday pledging to direct city resources away from investigating and enforcing reproductive health care laws after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade. The vote was one of the most notable actions by a local government in the state since the nation’s high court made the momentous decision Friday. Several hundred abortion-rights advocates gathered outside Denton City Hall ahead of the vote, which came after more than two hours of public comment that was at times emotional and contentious. (Smith, 6/28)
NBC News:
In Texas, State-Funded Crisis Pregnancy Centers Gave Medical Misinformation To NBC News Producers Seeking Counseling
Across the U.S., more than 2,500 crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) provide free services and counseling for women struggling with unplanned pregnancies. They outnumber abortion clinics three to one nationwide, and as some states shutter clinics after Roe’s reversal, that ratio will grow. But when two NBC News producers visited state-funded CPCs in Texas to ask for counseling, counselors told them that abortions caused mental illness and implied abortions could also cause cancer and infertility. The nation’s largest national obstetricians’ group, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AGOC), says that’s medical misinformation. (McFadden, 6/29)
