The Supreme Court's 5-4 vote on Monday blocked a Texas law regarding abortion clinics' standards from being applied in the state.
The case involved abortion clinic regulations in the state of Texas that would've forced 10 abortion clinics to close for failing to meet the standards. A federal appeals court unanimously upheld the state's regulations, at which the petitioners responded by appealing to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court stayed the appeals court decision on Monday for the clinics to remain open while the justices consider whether to hear the case.
If the Supreme Court decides to hear the case, the stay would remain until a ruling on the case is made. If the Supreme Court refuses the case, then the state's regulations would remain intact.
The regulations are enumerated in the 2013 House Bill 2, also known as H.B. 2. It requires abortion clinics in the state to meet the standards of "ambulatory surgical centers," and for doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital no further than 30 miles from the abortion clinic. These measures would have taken effect on July 1 if the Supreme Court did not place the stay on the appeals court ruling.
Texas legislators argue that the standards were placed to ensure the safety of women.
"H.B. 2 was a constitutional exercise of Texas' lawmaking authority that was correctly and unanimously upheld by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals," said Texas Governor Greg Abbott. "Texas will continue to fight for higher-quality health care standards for women while protecting our most vulnerable -- the unborn, and I'm confident the Supreme Court will ultimately uphold this law."
"Women and babies are being denied protections with the Supreme Court blocking pro-life legislation," said Lila Rose, the president of a pro-life group called Live Action.
Those in opposition to H.B. 2 argue that the main intention of the bill is simply to close abortion clinics. A significant decrease of clinics has occurred since H.B. 2 passed, from 41 abortion clinics in 2012, to 19 today.
"Our Constitution rightly protects women from laws that would create barriers to safe and legal abortion care, but Texas politicians have tried to sneak around the Constitution with sham regulations designed to close clinics' doors," argued Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights.
Justices who dissented from staying the lower court decision included Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, and Samuel Alito.
Reports estimate that the justices would likely hear the case since a majority voted to stay the appeals court decision. The court is not likely to take any action until the fall, experts add.
