We're a few days late on this one. On Tuesday the five male Republican appointees to the Supreme Court ruled that restrictions on abortion clinics in Texas could proceed, pending an appeal to the 5th Circuit that the lower court is likely to hear in January. The restrictions would require doctors who perform abortions in clinics to have admitting privileges in hospitals. What could be wrong with that?
"We will take every step we can to protect the health of Texas women. This law is blocking women in Texas from getting a safe and legal medical procedure that has been their constitutionally protected right for 40 years. This is outrageous and unacceptable — and also demonstrates why we need stronger federal protections for women's health. Your rights and your ability to make your own medical decisions should not depend on your ZIP code," [Planned Parenthood's Cecile] Richards said. [snip]Greasy carbuncle on the posterior of American justice, Antonin Scalia, wrote the majority opinion.
In Texas, 12 abortion providers say they have attempted to obtain hospital privileges for their doctors, but so far none of the hospitals have responded to the requests. That means those clinics can no longer offer abortions, leaving at most 20 facilities open in a state of 26 million people. (our emphasis)
