Texas Supreme Court rejects challenge to state's abortion law over medical exceptions

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Texas Supreme Court rejects challenge to state's abortion law over medical exceptions
apnews.com

The Texas Supreme Court on Friday rejected a closely watched challenge to the state’s restrictive abortion ban, ruling against a group of women who had serious pregnancy complications and became the first in the U.S. to testify in court about being denied abortions since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

In a unanimous ruling, the all-Republican court upheld the Texas law that opponents say is too vague when it comes to when medically necessary exceptions are allowed. The same issue was at the center of a separate lawsuit brought last year by Kate Cox, a mother of two from Dallas, who sought court permission to obtain an abortion after her fetus developed a fatal condition during a pregnancy that resulted in multiple trips to an emergency room.

Abortion rights activists have struggled to stem the tide of restrictions that have taken effect in most Republican-led states since the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 overturned Roe vs Wade, which for nearly 50 years had affirmed the constitutional right to an abortion. 

The court said the law’s exceptions, as written, are broad enough and that doctors would be misinterpreting the law if they declined to perform an abortion when the mother’s life is in danger.

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"Texas law permits a life-saving abortion,” the court wrote in the order signed by Justice Jane Bland.

Under the law in Texas, doctors who perform abortions risk life in prison, fines of up to $100,000 and revocation of their state medical licenses.

Hmmmm

That's kinda the point - Texas permits a life-saving abortion, but is super vague as to what counts as "life-saving" and if it's not life-saving **enough ** then comes the extreme punishment.

Under the law in Texas, doctors who perform abortions risk life in prison, fines of up to $100,000 and revocation of their state medical licenses.

This is excessive. Way too much. Cruel and unusual punishment is against the US constitution.

Seriously, just consider the following from bad evil theocratic authoritarian Saudi Arabia:

Expat doctor, nurse arrested in Saudi Arabia over unsafe abortions

The Ministry of Health in Riyadh referred the two medical professionals to the public prosecutor, and they face imprisonment for up to six months and a fine of up to $26,000 (100,000 riyals).

Holy shitsnacks does that ever put America's fascist back-slide in focus.

The doctor has to do it just right. Otherwise straight to jail - Texas Supreme Court, probably

If they mess up the game Operation buzzer goes off and state troopers immediately bust in.

Unless they suspect there is any sort of danger inside. In which case they mill around outside the OR and prevent anyone else from entering.

I would joke that they'd arrest the patient too, but...

It permits it then almost immediately punishes the Dr who saved a life. Just conservative things

Why the fuck do people still live in texas?

Poverty, abusive living situations, lack of options.

My girlfriend and I were in poverty living in Florida 8 years ago- both on minimum wage. We managed to move to Seattle. Aside from situations beyond one’s control, I assure you it’s VERY possible.

This entirely survivorship bias. And beside that, why SHOULD we have to leave? This is my fucking state too. Born and raised here, family history here. Why should I have to give all that up because some dipshit Republicans want to turn us into a shithole.

Because sometimes- things aren’t worth saving. I bailed on Florida when Florida bailed on:

• LGBTQ+

• women

•education

• living wages

• mental health

• gun control

• common sense

• humanity

I couldn’t help feeling like sticking around was essentially supporting everything I stand adamantly against. Now- not a single penny of mine is paid for bigots to hurt people any more.

And I sleep so much better for it.

Life is way too short. You made the right call for yourself and there's nothing wrong with that.

well it's not that they want to turn it into a shithole, it's that they did turn it into a shithole decades ago and it's getting worse.

but i agree that the previous comment is survivorship bias and anyone thinking that just moving out of a state is easy has not really thought about much at all.

Aside from situations beyond one’s control

This is not as clearly defined and narrow as you’re making it out to be. This can also include economic hardship.

It’s not as broad and across the board either. There’s nuance to everthing. I’m not suggesting it’s possible for everyone. My original question wasn’t to be taken literally. It was just exasperation and frustration over the situation

I was raised here. Now, after over 40 years of living here, I am finally leaving this summer. Fuck this entire fucking state. I'll watch the flames of Texas from the comfort of the Pacific Northwest. Good god damned riddance.

I feel the same about Florida. Lived there for almost 40 years.

Welcome, life is good here. Stay the hell out of ID though - it might give you flashbacks.

"Pacific" Northwest. I have zero interest in Bigoted Inland Bumfuck Northwest.

There's the rub. The outdoors and land in BIBN are beautiful and inexpensive but you have the local wildlife bigotry to contend with.

I don't have enough money to move somewhere with schools that don't suck

We didn’t either. But we saved for a few years, and found a cheap place to gain a foothold until we could do better for ourselves. Schools in Washington aren’t too bad.

Because the only way to change it is from within. If every blue vote leaves, then things will get much worse, much faster.

Only for the red votes that remain.

The more solid red states there are, the easier it is for them to enact their bullshit at a federal level. Then it’s your problem, too.

Texas has been trending bluer in the last decade and the fact that these laws also get blue voters to leave is not by accident.

If they were really opposed to this they would have voted out the Republicans decades ago. This is what they want because it hasn't happened to them personally and they only care about themselves.

I wonder what Texas will do when all the doctors leave to work in states that won't arrest them for saving lives.

Complain harder about woke ideologue as they blame liberals for shunning their perfect state.

I say this as a recent transplant out of spending almost 2 decades in Texas.

Couldn't get out of there soon enough. So happy we left.

Where'd you go instead? Also looking to move elsewhere as my home state slides further into theocratic hell

We're up in Colorado, near the Denver area now. Much, much, much, much better. This state isn't batshit insane.

Really? That's literally exactly where we were planning to go, just have heard some bad things about the crime rate and cost of living, not to mention being much colder.

the whole state is very good actually, even the redder parts imo, so find somewhere you can afford if denver is too much

It's cold at night, and warm during the day. But yeah, it is more expensive up here.

I guess we shouldn't be surprised that more desirable places to live can be more expensive. Demand does often drive prices up.

Yeah, for sure. If you ever want any help/advice/etc. about moving up here if that's in your cards at some point, feel free to HMU. My wife and I just went through it, as did 2 of my friends who transplanted out of the Austin area to here.

It's better on the other side, for sure.

There's still a lot of trump/MAGA crazies up here, because they're roughly 30% of the voting US population; but they lack any real governing or decision making power in the state, and losing more every day.

We vote by mail, with a guide that tells you the full details (in a large packet) of what every single law, bond, etc. means and how it could affect you along with the background on how that law got onto the ballot.

Then you just drop it off at the post office box and you're done. It's amazing how easy it is to vote compared to Texas.

And that's just one of the many things that's better. :)

Funny enough I lived in Texas and also moved to Denver. However, I would say that yes it is more expensive, but the wage is significantly higher. I was making 25k in Texas to the point where I couldn't afford my mortgage anymore. But moving to Denver, I was making 55k.

I was gonna say something contradicting you, but I have no place to do so coming from Utah lmao

What is the punishment for a doctor performing an illegal abortion in Texas?

Texas doctors face harsh penalties for performing an abortion that does not meet the criteria for a medical exception — fines of at least $100,000 and up to 99 years in prison.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-supreme-court-ruling-abortion-ban/

99 years in prison is a joke. Doctors who are licensed to perform abortions are already at the very least more than a third of the way through their lives. What, are they going to live until 125? In prison?

"99 years" is the kind of number uneducated people use to mean "a very long time".

It's why the Bible is full of references to absurdly huge numbers.

some dudebro will make an app for crowdsourced "Health Experts" who look you over briefly and then prescribe opiates. it will cost $300 out of pocket and AI will be involved somehow

some dudebro will make an app for crowdsourced "Health Experts" who look you over briefly and then prescribe opiates.

"Well, don't want to sound like a dick or nothin', but, ah... it says on your chart that you're fucked up. Ah, you talk like a fag, and your shit's all retarded. What I'd do, is just like... like... you know, like, you know" what I mean, like...

I again would request for all the big big Texas pussy to shut down until the law is aborted. Can't have pussy if you're not going to take care of it.

I am eternally grateful to have escaped Texas, the way they are treating women is utterly unconscionable.

Get ready, America. Van loads of morality police beating women on the street for not dressing conservatively are in your future.

Faux News has been warning us about religious law being enforced in our communities for decades. They just had a typo in which religion it was.

I think Biden could win Texas

Really depends if my fellow Texas men actually love their wives or not. I'm not quite sure that they do...

Conservative women hate women just as much as the men do, that's the impressive bit.

They can definitely have the whole "I got mine" ideology down like bedrock in their souls.

Conservative women hate women just as much as the men do, that’s the impressive bit.

I mean, so long as you define "hating women" to mean "opposing abortion" then sex isn't really relevant to who hates women - despite some folks who pretend otherwise it really isn't a men vs women issue, men are pro choice at about the same rate as women.

mean, so long as you define "hating women" to mean "opposing abortion"

I do. Next question.

They absolutely completely love the mothers of their children. And they promise to take extra special care of them and make the best decisions for their family. 🤮

It could happen if we could get more people to the polls.

In 2020, there were 21.5 million people in the voting age population, of which 16.95 million were registered to vote, and of those 11.3 million cast a vote. Of the votes, Trump receuved 5,890,347 votes and Biden received 5,259,126.

Hopefully we will have even better turnout this Oct/Nov. We were the first state to have an in-person early voting period and unfortunately, over 40 years later, isn't well-utilized.

For those in TX, the last day to register to vote is Oct 7.

Voting goes from October 21-Nov 1, with one final day to cast your vote on Nov 5.

Applications to vote by mail must be received by Oct 25.

Check your registration status, local polling locations and hours, important dates, and other election information at the link below.

https://www.votetexas.gov/mobile/index.htm

IIRC, more Texans voted for Biden in 2020 than those in NYS.

Thats interesting, i hadn't heard that before! Looks like Biden received 5,244,103 votes in New York, which is 15,023 less than he received in TX.

Looks like TX just needs more of the urban population to turnout to cou tractor the red rural parts.

And more people in California voted for Trump than in any other state. Numbers don't matter, percentages do.