SETBACK

Texas Supreme Court the Latest to Uphold Six-Week Abortion Ban

The court’s decision comes after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to get involved in the legal fight.

The Texas Supreme Court ruled that the state’s six-week abortion ban—one of the most restrictive in the country—could remain in place, dealing yet another blow to abortion clinics after a series of legal defeats. The court ruled that medical licensing officials had no enforcement authority, preventing clinics from suing them in an attempt to block the law. The decision leaves in place the ban, which was passed in September and makes no exceptions for rape or incest. It is the latest in a number of setbacks for those seeking access to abortions—the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the law from taking effect, and the high court has signaled it could overturn its landmark Roe v. Wade case later this year. Florida also recently passed a law banning abortions after 15 weeks.