A federal judge struck down key parts of a new Texas abortion law, considered among the most restrictive in the country, on Monday, one day before they were scheduled to take effect.
The lawsuit -- filed in U.S. District Court in Austin by Planned Parenthood on behalf of more than a dozen women's health care providers across Texas -- alleged the law violates the constitutional rights of women and puts unreasonable demands on doctors who perform abortions.
The lawsuit specifically targets requirements under the new law that doctors obtain admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the clinic at which they're providing abortion services, and usage controls on RU486, a drug that induces abortions.
U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel blocked the law's admitting privileges requirement, arguing that it "places a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion of a nonviable fetus and is thus an undue burden to her."
He also blocked a part of the law that deals with medication-induced abortions but allowed restrictions on the same issue to move forward. Provisions such as requiring strict use under Food and Drug Administration protocol and mandatory follow-up visits remain in place.
"Today's decision will not stop our ongoing efforts to protect life and ensure the women of our state aren't exposed to any more of the abortion-mill horror stories that have made headlines recently," the governor said.Read the full story HERE.
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