In the newest chapter of Texas’ governmental manifesto?How to Legislate Like an Asshole,?the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld some of the most brash and oppressive pieces of H.B. 2, the 2013 bill that sent the legislature into a frenzy and prompted the infamous filibuster by former State Rep. Wendy Davis (D-Fort Worth).
The court’s ruling reaffirmed provisions in H.B. 2 that required abortion clinics in the state to meet hospital-level operating standards and required doctors performing the procedure in abortion clinics to have admitting privileges at local hospitals. The only exception to the court’s ruling is in the Rio Grande Valley, where the only remaining abortion clinic, Whole Women’s Health in McAllen, sits considerable distances from the nearest H.B. 2 approved facilities in Corpus Christi (2 1/2 hours northwest) and San Antonio (almost four hours north).
Their exemption is only temporary. From the Huffington Post:
“The plaintiffs had challenged the law’s admitting privileges requirement as applied to clinics in McAllen and El Paso, on the basis that women living near those cities would have to travel over 200 miles to access the procedure in larger urban areas like San Antonio or Houston. The court modified the injunction ‘to apply to the McAllen facility until such time as another licensed abortion facility becomes available to provide abortions at a location nearer to the Rio Grande Valley than San Antonio.'”
Attorneys involved in the case, Whole Women’s Health v. Cole, say that the upholding of H.B. 2 by the Fifth Circuit could reduce the number of statewide abortion clinics to eight. That number is down from 40 licensed abortion clinics in the state before H.B. 2 took effect.
Eight abortion clinics, spread out over 268,820 square miles, providing services for 5.4 million women of reproductive age.?That is unequivocally absurd.
Gov. Greg Abbott provided nothing short of adoration for the Fifth Circuit judges ‘standing their ground’ against?Roe v. Wade. From NBC News:
Texas? Gov. Greg Abbott hailed the decision. ‘This unanimous decision is a vindication of the careful deliberation by the Texas Legislature to craft a law to protect the health and safety of Texas women,’ said Abbott in a statement. ‘I am pleased with the 5th Circuit’s decision to uphold H.B. 2 and the State of Texas will continue to fight for higher-quality healthcare standards for women while protecting our most vulnerable ? the unborn.’
That is Texas politics in a nutshell. If something stands in defiance to the opinions of a bunch of aging white males then it must be stopped at all costs. Praise be to American God for giving us the strength to fight the abortion abomination and the communist-fascist-godless liberals who think women are capable of making choices for themselves!
This state is disgusting.
tag: texas law