The Supreme Court Chips Away at the Defense of Life

By Rod Anderson, CP Cartoonist Wednesday, June 29, 2016

The Eight-Member U.S. Supreme Court struck down two key parts of Texas' controversial abortion facility regulation legislation, commonly known as HB 2.

In a 5-3 decision, the highest court in the land concluded that the Texas' law's demand that abortion providers have hospital admitting privileges and that clinics be regulated as surgical centers violated the U.S. Constitution.

Justice Stephen Breyer authored the majority opinion, being joined by Justices Anthony Kennedy, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented.

"We conclude that neither of these provisions offers medical benefits sufficient to justify the burdens upon access that each imposes," wrote Justice Breyer.

"Each places a substantial obstacle in the path of women seeking a previability abortion, each constitutes an undue burden on abortion access … and each violates the Federal Constitution."