The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 vote on June 29, granted a stay preventing revisions to the state abortion law made by the Texas Legislature in 2013 from taking effect on July 1.
The stay will remain in effect while the court is on hiatus. When it reconvenes in October, the court will decide if the issues at stake in the Texas case, Whole Woman’s Health (and others) v. Cole, merit further review. Voting to deny the stay were Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Scalia, Thomas and Alito.
Created by House Bill 2 in the second special session of the 83rd Texas Legislature, the law would further restrict abortion providers and complicate patient access to abortion services. In question are matters related to the law’s admitting privileges requirement for physicians performing abortions and the requirement that abortion-providing facilities must upgrade as necessary to qualify as ambulatory surgical centers.
