Texas Abortion Restrictions Blocked

A federal judge has ruled that major provisions of the strictest-in-the-nation abortion law enacted in Texas this year are unconstitutional. The law, set to go into effect tomorrow, banned abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and required that providers have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals along with other restrictions that would have forced many clinics to close. U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel, called the restrictions on providers, “a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion of a nonviable fetus and is thus an undue burden to her.” He also struck down a provision that limited abortion-inducing drugs to their labeled use. The attorney general is expected to file an emergency appeal.