Supreme Court allowed more than a dozen abortion clinics in Texas to remain open in a decision made Tuesday.
The decision reverses some part of the decision made by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals earlier in October.
The bill, House Bill 2, required the clinics to meet the standards of an “ambulatory surgical center.” This requirement also includes regulations on buildings, staff and equipment. The bill required doctors who perform abortions to have nearby hospital admittance privileges. While the ASC standards cannot be enforced, the admitting privileges will be imposed.
“The court recognized that these deeply personal decisions should be made by a woman with the guidance of her family and her doctor,” Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis said. “The actions by Austin politicians like Greg Abbott had closed all but eight Texas reproductive health centers and harmed the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of women throughout the state.”
“The attorney general’s office will continue to defend the law, just as we defend all state laws when they are challenged in court,” said Lauren Bean, the spokeswoman for Abbott, who is the Texas attorney general and Republican gubernatorial candidate.
Had the law remained in place, it would have closed all but eight abortion clinics across Texas, as well as required some women to travel more than 150 miles for the nearest provider.
