J.E.D
Gold Member
- Jul 28, 2011
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- Banned
- #1
Federal judge rejects key part of Texas abortion law
AUSTIN – A federal judge struck down a key piece of Texas's tough new abortion law Friday, giving opponents at least a temporary victory just three days before implementation of a provision expected to force all but seven clinics in the state to close.
U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel ruled that requiring abortion facilities to comply with the standards of ambulatory surgical centers would reduce access so much that it would put an unconstitutional burden on Texas women seeking the procedure.
Yeakel also ordered the McAllen and El Paso areas to be exempted from a separate provision of the law requiring abortion doctors to obtain admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.
He described the law, called House Bill 2, as "a brutally effective system of abortion regulation that reduces access to abortion clinics, thereby creating a statewide burden for substantial numbers of Texas women." Already, a couple dozen clinics have closed since its enactment.
AUSTIN – A federal judge struck down a key piece of Texas's tough new abortion law Friday, giving opponents at least a temporary victory just three days before implementation of a provision expected to force all but seven clinics in the state to close.
U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel ruled that requiring abortion facilities to comply with the standards of ambulatory surgical centers would reduce access so much that it would put an unconstitutional burden on Texas women seeking the procedure.
Yeakel also ordered the McAllen and El Paso areas to be exempted from a separate provision of the law requiring abortion doctors to obtain admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.
He described the law, called House Bill 2, as "a brutally effective system of abortion regulation that reduces access to abortion clinics, thereby creating a statewide burden for substantial numbers of Texas women." Already, a couple dozen clinics have closed since its enactment.
