The most important abortion rights case from the past 25 years is about to resurface in the Supreme Court and could bring about some major changes. The last time the Supreme Court ruled on abortion was in 2007 in regards to banning “partial-birth abortions.” Now, a new case is set to take place early next year resulting from a 2013 law that states abortion clinics must be structured like hospital-style surgical clinics. As a result of this law being enacted, the number of abortion clinics in Texas has plummeted from 41 to 19, and there is fear that this number could decrease even further to 10 if the law continues with provisions.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear this case, as a direct result of this 2013 law coming in possible conflict with an earlier law from 1992, that asks whether state abortion regulation has the purpose or effect of imposing an “undue burden,” which is defined as a “substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion before the fetus attains viability.”
Now, women are arguing that these new strict regulatory rules for clinics are directly going against the rulings of this case from over two decades ago. These rigid guidelines for clinics are making it harder for a women to schedule and find a place to have an abortion. While the state argues it is within their legal rights to impose these restrictions, some women are even arguing that this new law is attempting to ban nearly all abortions in Texas.