U.S. Supreme Court blocks Texas abortion restrictions

abortion 3U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel in August struck down the requirement for these two cities, saying women in those areas would have to travel as much as 500 miles (805 km) to go to an abortion clinic.

Abortion rights groups have said the regulations are unnecessary and served as an attempt to shut clinics.

Three conservatives on the nine-justice high court, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, said they would have allowed the law to go into effect in full.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans said on Oct. 2 that Texas could begin enforcing both requirements.

Abortion rights groups have said the measures as a whole would shutter all but seven clinics in the state.

“We’re seeing the terrible impact these restrictions have on thousands of Texas women who effectively no longer have access to safe and legal abortion. We’re relieved that the court stepped in to stop this, and we hope this dangerous law is ultimately overturned completely,” said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

(Additional reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas; Editing by Will Dunham and Eric Walsh)

Article Appeared @http://news.yahoo.com/supreme-court-blocks-texas-abortion-restrictions-225617907.html

 

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