A few weeks before the Supreme Court hears a legal challenge against provisions in Texas' omnibus antiabortion-rights law (HB 2), abortion providers in the state have launched the Truth Tour, a weeklong campaign to garner support for abortion clinics, Reuters reports (Forsyth, Reuters, 2/9).
Background
The Supreme Court in November 2015 announced it will hear a challenge to HB 2, which has already closed about half of the abortion clinics in Texas. In December 2015, the high court announced it will hear arguments in the case on March 2, which puts it on track to issue a final ruling in June.
The case, Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, centers on two provisions. One requires abortion clinics in the state to meet the same building standards as ambulatory surgical centers, and the other requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges at local hospitals.
The Center for Reproductive Rights, which represents the group of abortion providers challenging the law, argues that HB 2 is unconstitutional, creates an undue burden for Texas women who live far away from the nearest clinic, and does not promote the state's interest in improving health. If the court rules for the state, the number of clinics will fall to about 10, compared with about 40 before the law took effect.
In June 2015, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the law's ambulatory surgical centers provision and admitting privileges requirements except in the case of one clinic, Whole Woman's Health in McAllen, Texas. Later that month, CRR asked the 5th Circuit to stay the decision while the clinics appeal to the Supreme Court. The 5th Circuit rejected the request. CRR then filed an emergency request with the Supreme Court to stay the lower court's ruling and allow the clinics to remain open pending appeal. The Supreme Court in late June temporarily blocked HB 2's ambulatory surgical center requirement. There was debate about whether the high court's order also blocked the law's admitting privileges requirement (Women's Health Policy Report, 1/5).
Campaign details
According to Reuters, the Truth Tour awareness campaign aims to highlight how women in the state, particularly low-income women, would be burdened if clinics are forced to close under the law. Among other effects, women would be forced to travel hundreds of miles for abortion and reproductive health care.
As part of the campaign, Whole Woman's Health opened a clinic in San Antonio to media. Amy Hagstrom Miller, CEO of Whole Woman's Health, said, "This is seen as the reproductive health, justice, and rights case of a generation" (Reuters, 2/9).
