US Supreme Court Blocks Strict Provisions On Abortion Clinics In Texas
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday halted strict new rules for clinics that provide abortions in Texas. The order holds until a legal challenge against those rules goes before a federal appeals court.
In a 6-3 decision, Supreme Court judges issued the order which blocks a provision requiring abortion clinics to make costly upgrades to their facilities. It also exempts clinics in El Paso and McAllen from a rule requiring their doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.
The order reinstates an earlier injunction by a federal district court in Austin. That injunction was overruled last week by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which resulted in clinic closures. Attorneys representing abortion providers asked the Supreme Court to intervene.
More than a dozen abortion clinics have shut down since last year when the Texas legislature passed the strict new laws.
