In a 5-3 decision handed down this morning, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down two Texas abortion restrictions that formed the basis for similar restrictions in Louisiana: the mandate that abortion providers have admitting privileges at local hospitals and the requirement that abortion clinics have facilities comparable to outpatient surgical centers. The ruling makes it clear that the restrictions, which also have affected women in Louisiana, place an undue burden on abortion access, and thus violated the Constitution.
"The Supreme Court has reaffirmed today that a woman's right to choose an abortion is meaningless without access to abortion care," said ACLU of Louisiana Executive Director Marjorie R. Esman. "We applaud the court for sending a clear message to politicians that they may not hide behind pretexts to deny women their rights. This is good news for all women, including those in Louisiana, who will no longer be denied a fundamental right for reasons unrelated to their health."
The court's decision is likely to affect pending challenges to the similar laws in Louisiana, and elsewhere around the country, which have now been declared unenforceable.
