The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments about the constitutionality of Texas’ strict anti-abortion law on March 2, the justices announced Thursday, setting a date for a hotly anticipated fight that could affect women’s health policy across the country.
The scheduling puts the case on track for a ruling by the end of June, which had been expected when the justices announced last month that they would consider a challenge brought by abortion providers.
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The current panel of Supreme Court justices never has weighed any abortion case together and has proven to be deeply divided on social issues, making it nearly impossible to predict how they will rule. Opponents of the law have taken heart in the fact that the justices put the surgical center requirement on hold last summer after it was upheld by the 5th Circuit, however.
The scheduling was not seen as an indication of the court’s feelings on the case.
One lawyer representing the abortion providers said his side was happy because the move would allow for the case to be resolved quickly.
“It’s a short time frame, but it gives us a chance to tell the justices that this law is a sham and sets the case up for a speedy resolution, so we’re very pleased,” said David Brown of the Center for Reproductive Rights.
See here for the background. I don’t know why they chose to release this news on Christmas Eve, but SCOTUS gonna SCOTUS. I dread the whole thing, but given that I’d rather get it over with quickly. TPM has more.
I hope the SCOTUS smacks down Texas’ legal harassment of the abortion clinics…..and that is all it is, legal harassment. At the same time, maybe they will broaden the ruling so that ALL companies will also have protection from the same kind of politically motivated legal harassment.
We should want businesses to succeed. Successful businesses pay taxes, employ people who pay taxes, and purchase things from other businesses that also pay taxes and employ people. Abortion clinics are no different. I’d put abortion clinics right up there with head shops, strip clubs, and other morally unpalatable businesses, and yet, they are all businesses that help our economy. Without them, we are left to pick up the slack of less tax revenue and fewer jobs.
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