After the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals canceled a hearing planned for Monday, a Texas law outlawing abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which can be as early as six weeks, will take effect.
The legislation was signed by Republican Governor Greg Abbott in May. The law will also allow members of the general public to sue doctors should they violate the law.
The Hill reports that over twenty abortion providers attempted to block the law from taking effect, filing an emergency motion to the appeals court and asking them to issue a temporary stay or send it back to a lower court. The appeals court denied the request Sunday.
The new law would affect approximately 90% of abortions currently being performed in Texas.
Helene Kransoff, Vice President of public policy litigation and law at Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), told the Texas Tribune that this will make women lose abortion access for the first time in Texas, saying that “[I]t's quite possible that it could create chaos and problems on the ground, including the closing of health centers.”
Director of media and communication for Texas Right to Life Kim Schwartz said that the group was “really excited” about the law taking effect Wednesday.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.