Breaking news: A Federal judge has ruled that parts of Texas’ anti-abortion bill, HB2, are unconstitutional!

In a nutshell, US District Judge Lee Yeakel (a George W. Bush appointee) blocked the enforcement of two provisions of the bill: one dealing with hospital admitting privileges and the other, medication abortion.

Specifically, Section 2 of the bill sought to require abortion providers to have hospital admitting privileges within 30 miles of their clinic. Since many do not have — and cannot get — these privileges, many abortion clinics in the state (approximately one-third) would be forced to close, thereby drastically reducing women’s access to abortion. The court concluded that “the admitting-privileges provision of House Bill 2 lacks a rational basis and places an undue burden on a woman seeking an abortion.”

The court also partially blocked enforcement of the bill’s provision that severely restricted medication abortion (i.e., the abortion pill — NOT to be confused with the morning after pill/Plan B):

“The medication abortion provision may not be enforced against any physician who determines, in appropriate medical judgment, to perform the medication-abortion using off-label protocol for the preservation of the life or health of the mother.”

In other words, women whose lives are not in danger if they don’t receive a medication (versus surgical) abortion will continue to face restrictions.

RH Reality Check has an informative, detailed breakdown of this news, and Mother Jones has the judgment in its entirety.

Categories: Politics

Tags: Abortion, HB2, Medical abortion, prochoice, Texas