Divided Supreme Court votes 5-4 to leave Texas abortion law in place

By JESSICA GRESKO | The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A profoundly divided Supreme Court is allowing a Texas instrumentality that bans astir abortions to stay successful force, stripping astir women of the close to an termination successful the nation’s second-largest state.

The tribunal voted 5-4 aboriginal Thursday to contradict an exigency entreaty from termination providers and others that sought to artifact enforcement of the instrumentality that went into effect Wednesday.

The Texas law, signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott successful May, prohibits abortions erstwhile aesculapian professionals tin observe cardiac activity, usually astir six weeks and earlier astir women cognize they’re pregnant.

“In reaching this conclusion, we accent that we bash not purport to resoluteness definitively immoderate jurisdictional oregon substantive assertion successful the applicants’ lawsuit. In particular, this bid is not based connected immoderate decision astir the constitutionality of Texas’s law, and successful nary mode limits different procedurally due challenges to the Texas law, including successful Texas authorities courts,” the tribunal said successful the unsigned order.

Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Stephen Breyer, Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Elena Kagan dissented.

Texas lawmakers wrote the instrumentality to evade national tribunal reappraisal by allowing backstage citizens to bring civilian lawsuits successful authorities tribunal against anyone progressive successful an abortion, different than the patient. Other termination laws are enforced by authorities and section officials, with transgression sanctions possible.

After a national appeals tribunal refused to let a punctual reappraisal of the instrumentality earlier it took effect, the measure’s opponents sought Supreme Court review.