How Republicans won the fight over abortion in Texas

Just twenty abortion clinics remain open in Texas following an antiabortion bills that was passed into law in July of 2013.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - House Bill 2, which was passed in November, requires that all abortion clinics close by Sept. 1, 2014, unless they have on-site ambulatory surgical centers. Only six abortion clinics in Texas currently meet this requirement and are likely to stay open.

Further provisions in House Bill 2also ban abortion procedures after 20 weeks, medical abortions after seven weeks, require women who wish to have an abortion visit the clinic four separate times prior to the procedure, and require all physicians conducting the procedure to have hospital admitting privileges within a 30 mile radius.

How can you help stop abortion?

The bill went into effect in November and caused numerous abortion clinics to immediately close.

Proponents of House Bill 2 say that it is beneficial to the health of women. By holding abortion facilities to higher standards women will be less likely to encounter serious medical issues.

The bill's detractors argue that Texas republicans and Governor Rick Perry are simply using this rational to disguise political motivations.

Numerous pro-choice organizations including Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union, Whole Women's Health and the Center for Reproductive Rights, have joined with a Texas law firm and filed a lawsuit. Specifically targeting the law's admitting privileges provision, claiming that it restricts access and will endanger the health of those having procedures.

The lawsuit managed to get an injunction filed to stop that provision from going into effect, but it was successfully appealed by the state.

The 5th Circuit Court is currently expected to make a ruling any day on this conflict. Critics of the bill state that even if the lawsuit's are successful, it will be nearly impossible to open enough abortion clinics to provide the same amount of coverage as before.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'