Federal Appeals Court Upholds Key Part of Strict Texas Abortion Law - East Idaho News
National

Federal Appeals Court Upholds Key Part of Strict Texas Abortion Law

  Published at  | Updated at

GETTY 103113 GavelJustice?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1383279306604iStock/Thinkstock(NEW ORLEANS) — After a judge struck down portions of Texas’ strict, new abortion law as unconstitutional, a higher court has now reinstated at least some of those measures.  
 
The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Thursday upheld the Texas law requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.  That restriction could take effect as soon as Friday.

Planned Parenthood says the regulation does not protect women’s health and could mean the closure of a third of the state’s abortion clinics.  Many hospitals with ties to churches won’t allow abortion doctors to work there; others fear the specter of daily protests outside their doors.
 
The court’s ruling, which affects as many as a dozen clinics throughout Texas, is effective until it can hold a complete hearing in January.

Planned Parenthood’s Eric Ferrero told ABC News his group will fight on.

“We are gonna fight as far and as long as we have to for our patients in Texas and for women in Texas who should be able to make their own medical decisions,” he said, adding, “The state of Texas is going to have to come into court and show that somehow this is protecting women’s health and safety, and they can’t do that.”
 
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION