A sweeping set of abortion restrictions adopted by the Texas state Senate on Saturday is the latest in a series of state-level political fights triggering a frenzy of legal action that could determine how much access to abortion services American women have in the future.
Abortion opponents hope that eventually some of cases will reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
In recent months, abortion has moved to the political center?stage as an increasing number of Republican-controlled legislatures have enacted new abortion restrictions. The result is a flurry of activity by both opponents and supporters of abortion rights that has made the abortion debate more politically volatile than it has been in many years.
So far this year, state legislatures have enacted more than 40 measures to restrict or control access to abortion, according to the nonprofit Guttmacher Institute, and proponents of those measures acknowledge that they are deliberately inviting legal challenges in the hope that the cases will land in federal courts and produce stricter limits on abortion nationwide.
North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple (R) ? who signed legislation in late March restricting abortions as soon as a heartbeat is detectable, which can be as early as six weeks ? said at the time: ?Although the likelihood of this measure surviving a court challenge remains in question, this bill is nevertheless a legitimate attempt by a state legislature to discover the boundaries of Roe v. Wade.?
Abortion rights supporters said the recent rush of activity has strengthened their argument that women?s access to the procedure is now under serious threat. In response, they have filed dozens of lawsuits aimed at blocking some of the highest-profile bills on the grounds that they place an undue burden on women seeking abortions before the point where the fetus is viable.
Saturday morning?s vote in Texas came after a standoff that lasted several weeks. The state Senate voted 19 to 11 to adopt a measure that would ban abortions after 20 weeks and require physicians who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. It also requires all abortions to take place in fully equipped surgical centers.
Only six of the state?s 42 abortion clinics meet the new requirements, and abortion rights advocates say the legislation means dozens will be shuttered.
?Now people really understand this is national trend, this is a wave,? said Louise Melling, director of the American Civil Liberties Union?s Center of Liberty. ?It?s an effort to change the landscape across the country for abortion, even if it?s state by state.?
Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has been a strong supporter of the proposed new restrictions in his state and is expected to sign the legislation, which is scheduled to take effect Aug. 1. But when and whether that happens is likely to be decided by the courts.
Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said Saturday that her group was ?evaluating litigation options? regarding the Texas law.
?We believe provisions of this bill are unconstitutional. Similar provisions enacted elsewhere have been enjoined by federal and state courts,? Richards said, promising to ?take appropriate steps to prevent these provisions from taking effect and endangering the health of women in Texas.?
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