Supreme Court will not block controversial part of Texas abortion law

Texas’ new abortion law includes a controversial component, which requires that doctors who provide abortions have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the abortion clinic. The rule passed through a federal appeals court, but abortion-rights groups have urged the Supreme Court to overturn that decision.

Justice Antonin Scalia, who supported the decision, wrote: “We may not vacate a stay entered by a court of appeals unless that court clearly and ‘demonstrably’ erred in its application of ‘accepted standards.’ Reasonable minds can perhaps disagree about whether the Court of Appeals should have granted a stay in this case. But there is no doubt that the applicants have not carried their heavy burden of showing that doing so was a clear violation of accepted legal standards — which do not include a special ‘status quo’ standard for laws affecting abortion.”

Planned Parenthood first submitted the lawsuit, claiming that it was an unconstitutional violation of women’s rights, and an unreasonable requirement of doctors. Sen. Wendy Davis commented: “Clinics will close and women’s health will be hurt because of this law. This is an abuse of power by politicians in Austin. I trust women to make their own decisions and will continue to work to make sure that women and mothers are safe and have access to adequate health care.”