DLG Luce – Supreme Court Divided as It Hears Texas Abortion Case

In September 2014 a Texas law went into effect requiring abortion clinics to meet hospital – level standards and has started a debate on a national level as the Supreme Court heard the case this week. 

The executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, Heather Busby argues that as a result of this law “ clinics [have] to become mini-hospitals. They have to have hallway widths a certain length, and a janitor’s closet, male and female locker rooms, which is completely unnecessary — and a bunch of other regulations that are really not appropriate or do anything to increase the safety of one of the safest procedures in the country.” This changes are too expensive for clinics to comply with and have in turn had to shut their doors.

Supporters of the law said it would protect women by making abortion safer. At the time of the law’s passage, The Texas Tribune quoted Republican state Sen. Donna Campbell saying, “There’s nothing in this legislation that will close a clinic. … That’s up to the clinic. If they want to put profit over a person, that’s up to them.”

Busby said abortion is already one of the safest office-based medical procedures, with a complication rate of less than .05 percent.

The Supreme Court Justices are now split on the matter and are now deciding whether the law places too much of a burden on women ring to get abortions. This comes just weeks after the death of conservative Justice Scalia, leaving only eight justices with the conservatives and the liberals evenly divided, and highlights why choosing his replacement is such a hot topic in Washington and on the campaign trail.

Their decision, which we will hear more about by June of this year, could influence other states and affect millions of women across the US.

DLG Luce Salazar PLLC is a Texas based business and civil litigation law firm. From our offices in Austin, San Antonio, and The Woodlands, Texas, our experienced attorneys assist a diverse clientele with legal needs hanging from immigration to complex civil litigation and personal injury law.

Sources:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-abortion-idUSKCN0W40BZ
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/07/18/332547328/half-of-texas-abortion-clinics-close-after-restrictions-enacted
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/03/us/politics/supreme-court-abortion-texas.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0