New Texas Law Closing Abortion Clinics Upheld by Supreme Court
"The Nation's eyes are on Texas as a law that effectively ends abortions is upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals and, by not permitting a hearing, by the U.S. Supreme Court. The last abortion was performed at 11:56 pm Tuesday and now abortionists will have to leave the State of Texas. God Bless Texas," says Eugene Delgaudio, president of Public Advocate.
Pro-choice advocates in Texas found themselves in an "unprecedented and complicated situation" Wednesday after the Supreme Court failed to act on emergency requests to block a state law banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
Clinics in Oklahoma and Kansas took in Texans who had traveled hundreds of miles for abortions, said officials from Trust Women clinics in Wichita and Oklahoma City. Clinics in Texas had to turn away women from their waiting rooms.
"This morning, I woke up feeling deep sadness. I'm worried. I'm numb," said Amy Hagstrom Miller, CEO of Whole Woman's Health. "We are now in an unprecedented and complicated situation."
She said her clinic performed its last abortion at 11:56 p.m. Tuesday. The law took effect at midnight.
The Texas law prohibits abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually around six weeks of gestation. Abortion providers challenged the legislation at the Supreme Court this week, arguing that most women do not even know they are pregnant at that stage.
The high court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, had not weighed in on the law as of Wednesday afternoon.The Texas law allows private citizens, not government officials, to sue abortion providers for violating the ban.............
...............They said the restriction violates Supreme Court precedent protecting a woman's right to an abortion and would ban roughly 85% of abortions in the state, forcing clinics to close.
Among those (pro-abortion liberals) are suing are state judges, clerks and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (SEE PHOTO), a Republican, signed the legislation in May. The law allows anyone who successfully sues someone who assists in abortion after six weeks of gestation to receive $10,000.
...........Pro-life advocates and conservative states have been trying to chip away at the 1973 Supreme Court ruling in the case of Roe v. Wade that women have a right to abortion. They said Texas' ban after six weeks was a step in the right direction.
Read more at the Washington Times
PHOTO: GOV. GREG ABBOTT, YOUTUBE