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A Texas law that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy took effect Wednesday, as a midnight deadline for the Supreme Court to stop it came and went without action.
The court could still grant a request from abortion providers to halt the law, one of the nation’s most restrictive. But for now, abortion providers in Texas, including Planned Parenthood and Whole Woman’s Health, said they will no longer terminate pregnancies more than six weeks from a woman’s last period.
Providers said the law — which relies on private citizens to sue people who help women get forbidden abortions — effectively eliminates the guarantee in Roe v. Wade and subsequent Supreme Court decisions that women have a right to end their pregnancies before viability, and that states may not impose undue burdens on that decision.
If the Supreme Court declines to stop the law, the most likely challenge would come after it is utilized by a private citizen. Then the person sued could contest the constitutionality of the law, with the backing of abortion providers and abortion-rights groups.
* AP…
In a phone call with reporters early Wednesday, Marc Hearron, a lawyer for the Center for Reproductive Rights, said that “as of now, most abortion is banned in Texas.” Hearron said the abortion providers his group represents were still hoping to hear from the Supreme Court.
They have said the law would rule out 85% of abortions in Texas and force many clinics to close. Planned Parenthood is among the abortion providers that have stopped scheduling abortions beyond six weeks from conception. […]
At least 12 other states have enacted bans on abortion early in pregnancy, but all have been blocked from going into effect.
What makes the Texas law different is its unusual enforcement scheme. Rather than have officials responsible for enforcing the law, private citizens are authorized to sue abortion providers and anyone involved in facilitating abortions. Among other situations, that would include anyone who drives a woman to a clinic to get an abortion. Under the law, anyone who successfully sues another person would be entitled to at least $10,000.
* I’ve received several reactions to the development and am posting everything in my inbox. Here’s Governor Pritzker’s campaign…
Today Governor JB Pritzker released a statement condemning the passage and implementation of Texas Senate Bill 8. The legislation that goes into effect today effectively eliminates access to abortion after six weeks, and allows virtually any private citizens to sue abortion providers or anyone who they view as aiding in violating the new ban.
“An attack on reproductive freedom in Texas is an attack on reproductive freedom in Illinois and every state across the country. I’m proud that we passed the most comprehensive law in the nation to protect women’s rights to make their own health care decisions no matter what happens at the Supreme Court. But make no mistake—abortion rights are on the ballot in 2022 and Republicans will do everything in their power to strip them away. That’s why it’s so critical to elect Democrats up and down the ballot across Illinois.”
Governor JB Pritzker has fought for women’s reproductive rights his entire life and in 2019 he signed The Reproductive Health Act, the most comprehensive abortion rights bill in the country, into law.
* ACLU of Illinois…
Overnight, the Supreme Court of the United States failed to act on a request to block a new, sweeping and unconstitutional abortion ban in Texas from going into effect. The following statement can be attributed to Ameri Klafeta, Director of the Women’s and Reproductive Rights Project at the ACLU of Illinois:
This is a sad day in our country. As a result of inaction overnight by the Supreme Court, a sweeping, clearly unconstitutional abortion ban is now in effect in the State of Texas. After a half-century of constant attacks fueled by misinformation and lies, the right to access reproductive health care is now denied to millions of people today.
The Texas law cruelly bans abortion care as early as six weeks – before many people even know they are pregnant. The measure also allows individuals – literally anyone even if they have no connection to a patient – to sue doctors, health care workers and even friends who support someone in accessing abortion care after six weeks. Such provisions stand in direct opposition to the principles enshrined in Roe v. Wade, making the Court’s inaction all the more disturbing.
Residents of Illinois can take slight solace in this moment. Legislators in recent years have extended critical protections for all seeking reproductive health care in Illinois – measures signed by Governor Rauner and Governor Pritzker. We must continue to defend and expand those protections. We recommit ourselves to this effort today as we think of the millions of people across the United States who now are at risk of losing their access to abortion due to the Court’s failure to act.
* Personal PAC…
Thirty years ago, Illinois was one of the most anti-choice states in the nation with a “trigger law,” spousal consent for an abortion, and bans on IVF while Texas was one of the most pro-choice states in the country. Remember pro-choice Texas Governor Ann Richards?
As of today, Texas is now the state with the most cruel anti-abortion laws in the nation—a ban on abortion after six weeks, before most women even know they are pregnant, and with no exceptions for rape and incest. The other provision allows for a $10,000 bounty for turning in anyone who assisted with any aspect of an abortion. It’s called the totalitarian state right in front of our eyes in these United States.
Today, Illinois is almost a state that protects women who seek reproductive health care.
Texas and Illinois are one story: Elections Have VERY SERIOUS Consequences.
Right in front of our eyes, candidates who want for Illinois women what Texas women now live under are running for Governor, Attorney General and the Illinois General Assembly, where 22 Texas-like anti-abortion bills are patiently waiting for a vote—and the next election to seize the opportunity.
We simply can’t let these misogynists win in 2022 like they did in Texas.
* Planned Parenthood Illinois Action…
Access to abortion is hanging by an increasingly thinning thread. With the six-week abortion ban taking effect today in Texas, we can expect many other states to follow their lead. The 2021 legislative season is already the most hostile year for reproductive health and rights in history, with many of our neighboring states enacting medically-unnecessary and extreme laws with the sole purpose of banning abortion. We know that abortion bans don’t stop people from having abortions. Bans only make it more difficult to access essential health care.
Illinois passed the Reproductive Health Act in 2019, which ensures abortion will remain legal in our state even if Roe v. Wade is overturned, and positions Illinois as a safe haven for the region. Already, we are seeing patients from other states who have been forced to travel long distances to access abortion care, which has been legal in the United States for nearly 50 years.
People who have abortions are our family, friends, and neighbors. Everyone deserves the freedom to make their own medical decisions, in consultation with their families and their doctors and free from political interference. Access to essential care should never depend on where you live or how much money you make.
We will never stop fighting to help everyone access the health care they need and deserve.
So far, anyway, I’ve received nothing from any anti-abortion groups, politicians or political parties.
…Adding… Robin Kelly, Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois…
“What we are seeing in Texas is an unconstitutional assault on women everywhere. This radical law to essentially ban abortion will hurt women of color and low-come women in particular. Like so many issues, Illinois Democrats lead the nation in protecting and expanding a woman’s right to her own healthcare decisions and our fight is far from over.”
Still nothing from anyone on the other side.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 2:44 pm
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Never take women’s repro rights for granted. Just like Terry said, elections matter. Where is IL GOP on this?
Comment by Shytown Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 2:46 pm
So much for the suburbs swinging back to GOP after Trump.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 2:49 pm
Elections matter.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 2:50 pm
There was once a plan to allow Medicaid funds to go toward adoption counseling.
The pro-life groups opposed it because it required both Planned Parenthood to present adoption as an option AND the crisis pregnancy centers to present abortion as an option — because in health care, you present ALL medically-sound options to the patient.
So it didn’t happen. Zealots don’t care about the babies. They. Don’t. Care.
They want to WIN.
Comment by Pro-Choice Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 2:51 pm
5 justices nominated by Presidents who lost the popular vote and who were confirmed by Senators representing a minority of Americans just nullified Roe v Wade in the middle of the night without so much as hearing a single oral argument. I don’t know how much more it’s going to take before people realize that majority rule in America is effectively dead. Whatever our system is, it definitely isn’t Democratic
Comment by SWIL_Voter Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 2:52 pm
This seems like a pretty big deal. However given the number of ‘morning after’ pills which have been dispensed it has less felt impact than twenty years ago. Good issue for team blue to activate their base. Possibly an overstep by team red?
Comment by Al Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 3:01 pm
SWIL_Voter -
You clearly do not understand what happened here. The Court simply did not act on an emergency request to block the law. No ruling of any kind has been made.
Not to say it won’t be, but it hasn’t yet.
Comment by JoanP Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 3:20 pm
JoanP please look up shadow docket and how much policy is being decided in this way, thank you
Comment by SWIL_Voter Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 3:33 pm
“5 justices nominated by Presidents who lost the popular vote and who were confirmed by Senators representing a minority of Americans”
5 justices that were legally nominated and approved as all other SCOTUS judges have been since Felix Frankfurter in 1939 which christened the high profile hearing era.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 3:42 pm
Between this and red states cutting off unemployment benefits, I’m beginning to think cruelty is a core tenet of today’s GQP.
Comment by Jocko Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 3:42 pm
Donnie, nobody argued that they were installed illegally, but it’s also just not true that they were all approved in the same manner. Thank you
Comment by SWIL_Voter Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 3:49 pm
The same state where asking someone to wear a mask or get a vaccine is against the law because…freedom. It seems to me that controlling what happens in a woman’s womb is a lot more intrusive than asking someone to wear a mask.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 4:04 pm
Anon 4:04 was me.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 4:05 pm
So my body my choice is good for abortions but bad if you don’f want to get a vacine. Got it
Comment by Dozer Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 4:08 pm
== So my body my choice is good for abortions but bad if you don’f want to get a vacine. Got it==
When pregnancy becomes contagious, we’ll be sure to merge these two issues under the same argument. Until then maybe we should use our brains
Comment by SWIL_Voter Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 4:14 pm
==So my body my choice is good for abortions but bad if you don’f want to get a vacine.==
First, the mask and vaccine mandates are not absolute, one can choose to not go to places where those are mandated; the pregnancy mandate is absolute, if a person gets pregnant they must bear the zygote>fetus to term.
If you view government regulations as a spectrum, a mask mandate is pretty minor while a pregnancy mandate is pretty intrusive; a vaccine mandate is somewhere in between. If the goal is protecting life (for the sake of this argument, let’s assume life begins at conception), requiring a mask (protects many people and has minimal side effects of any kind) or vaccine (which can also protect many people and has a very low rate of bad side effects) are both much less intrusive and protect more people than requiring full-term pregnancy (which protects one potential life and has a much higher rate of bad side effects).
I wonder if the Texas legislators and governor truly value life as much as they say they do. I also wonder if the mask and vaccine mandate bans are truly about “freedom” since a woman’s right to bodily integrity seems to have little to no value.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 4:43 pm
All over Texas, babies waiting to be born 7 months from now are smiling.
Comment by Papa2008 Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 4:53 pm
=== All over Texas, babies waiting to be born 7 months from now are smiling.===
Are you going to take it upon yourself to ensure after birth they are clothed, educated, made safe, and given every opportunity as other children are?
It’s one thing to advocate as pro-life, it’s another to be pro-life when children born in dire circumstances need help
I’m sure you’re prepared for that commitment
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 4:55 pm
=== All over Texas, babies waiting to be born 7 months from now are smiling.===
To give context and insight, my large extended family have adopted, through Catholic Family Services.
Giving babies a chance, opportunities after they are born, that’s a societal responsibility, I believe that.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 5:05 pm
If women from Texas come to Illinois for an abortion, are people, entities in Illinois in danger from this (totally unconstitutional) but inventive law? do we need to pass laws here that protect those in Illinois from the clutches of the dystopian world of Texas? remember, they also have carry without permit now so I fear their citizen enforcers will be armed. I fear them. we have to fight them any way we can.
Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 5:56 pm
If men could get pregnant, the right to choose would be guaranteed by the US Constitution.
Comment by Proud Papa Bear Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 6:45 pm
So could they sue the Uber or taxi driver who gave her the ride to the facility? They enabled her… kind of a reach but the law seems to reach too far. Plus what Amalia said. can they sue people in other states if the female goes out of state for one after six weeks?
Comment by Peanut Thursday, Sep 2, 21 @ 8:05 am
“- Dozer - Wednesday, Sep 1, 21 @ 4:08 pm:
So my body my choice is good for abortions but bad if you don’f want to get a vacine. Got it”
No…you obviously do not.
Comment by Dotnonymous Thursday, Sep 2, 21 @ 2:31 pm