From Stop Patriarchy
ALERT! On October 14 Supreme Court Ruling
October 16, 2014 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
We received this from Stop Patriarchy.
October 14, the United States Supreme Court voted 6 to 3 to overrule the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision. The Fifth Circuit had ruled on Oct. 2 to allow Texas law HB2 to go into effect which forced the closure of 13 clinics. The SCOTUS ruling means that these clinics may now re-open.
This is a positive immediate development, but it is a far cry from justice and it is also far from over. Many of the clinics that were forced to close have already had to lay off their staff and let go—or began the process of letting go—of their properties. Re-opening, while the right thing to do for their patients and women everywhere, is an enormous financial gamble for the owners of the clinics, who have no guarantee whether they will be able to remain open for any length of time.
The Supreme Court's decision was simply that while the challenge to HB2 is still being litigated, the closure of the clinics should not be enforced. There is not yet a final decision on whether HB2 will stand. Also, the 20-week ban on abortion, along with harmful and medically unsound restrictions on medication abortions, is left untouched by the Supreme Court.
The restriction requiring abortion doctors to have hospital admitting privileges, which already closed many clinics in Texas is still in effect, with the exception of two clinics in El Paso & McAllen.
The fate of women throughout the state of Texas, the futures of the courageous abortion providers who have struggled to keep their clinic doors open, and the direction of this fight for women's right to abortion and reproductive freedom across the country are still at stake.
Now is not the time for complacency. It is time to step up!
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