In a 5-3 ruling on Jun. 27, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Texas’ newest abortion clinic regulations on the grounds that they pose an “undue burden” to women seeking their services.
The law in question mandated that abortion clinics conform to surgical center regulations and that doctors must have admitting privileges at a local hospital.
The Court upheld a previous ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that the clinical provision “imposes a number of additional requirements that are generally unnecessary in the abortion clinic context; that it provides no benefit when complications arise in the context of a medical abortion.”
The majority opinion, written by Justice Stephen Breyer, held that the requirements for physicians had no proven correlation with patient safety.
Abortion providers, the opinion states, “would be unable to maintain admitting privileges or obtain those privileges for the future, because the fact that abortions are so safe meant that providers were unlikely to have any patients to admit.”
On Monday, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia released a public statement commending the Court’s decision.
“This is a win for women,” Executive Director Cianti Stewart-Reid said in a press release. “We are thrilled the Court recognized that these laws do not enhance patient safety -- rather, they punish women by blocking access to safe abortion.”
Women should not be punished for seeking essential medical care, the release reads.
“It’s time to pass state laws to protect a woman’s constitutional right to abortion, and repeal ones that block it,” Steward-Reid said.
University Democrats President and rising fourth-year College student Sam Tobin said in an email that his organization supports the Supreme Court ruling and hopes it results in challenges to similar restrictions in other states — including Virginia.
“Many states in recent years, Virginia included, have passed laws that put burdensome regulations on abortion clinics in the name of protecting the health of women,” Tobin said.
Laws in several states focus on reducing the number of abortion clinics available to women by demanding unreasonable standards, Tobin said.
“We concur with the Supreme Court in that these regulations on abortion clinics in Texas and in other states including Virginia have nothing to do with protecting the health of women and everything to do with making it more difficult for women to get healthcare services,” Tobin said.
Rising fourth-year College student Katharine Britton, President of Hoos for Life — a prolife advocacy group on Grounds — said that the heated politics surrounding the abortion issue often obscure the fact that both sides of the debate hold similar principles.
“This is a women’s health issue and about protecting the dignity of human life,” Britton said. “It’s just a difference of views on when that life starts.”
Britton said she believes Supreme Court decisions like this one focus on the minute intent of legislature, and lose sight of the bigger picture of protecting women’s health.
“One side — the sign that I’m on — sees it as an issue of protecting unborn babies, unborn women as well as born women,” Britton said.
Britton, who was in Washington late last week awaiting the ruling with other pro-life advocates, disagrees with the Court that Texas’ regulations were intended to restrict access to abortions.
“I think that these laws are trying to promote women’s health and at the same time it is resulting in there being much less access to abortion clinics, but in my mind, that is definitely not a bad thing,” Britton said. “Abortions are not safe. They’re certainly not safe for the child, and they’re often not safe for the mother.”
There are currently no implications for existing Virginia laws related to regulations at abortion clinics.
Read More
Virginia Attorney General Speaks On Free Speech And Criminal Justice Reform
By Vyshnavi Tatta | YesterdayMiyares said pursuing repeat criminal offenders is a more crucial step in reducing crime, saying that studies show a small percentage of criminals commit a majority of crimes.
Student Council passes summer budget, bill supporting allergy policy reform
By Arshiya Pant | YesterdayThe biggest expenditure categories outlined in the summer 2024 budget were CIO Consultant funds and Support and Access Services, respectively receiving $67,000 and $65,950.
New Vice President of Research Lori McMahon aims to work towards U.Va.’s 2030 plan
By Caroline Hagood | YesterdayMcMahon said she was drawn to the University after reading the University's 2030 plan and that she was inspired by the vision of President Jim Ryan and other University leaders.
