Judge rules against strict Texas abortion law

 News outlets quickly reported the impact of the judge's decision.

USA Today: U.S. Judge Voids Key Piece Of Texas Abortion Law
A federal judge Friday struck down a major provision of Texas's strict abortion law that would have forced all but a handful of clinics to close next week. The law, passed last year by the Republican legislature, required abortion facilities to meet state standards for ambulatory surgical centers. But U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel ruled the requirements violated a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy (Winter, 8/29).

The Texas Tribune: Federal Judge Strikes Down Texas Abortion Regulation
The lawsuit was brought by the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of several abortion providers, asking U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel of the District Court for the Western District of Texas to block the last provision of House Bill 2, which would have required abortion facilities to meet the same standards as ambulatory surgical centers. Those include minimum sizes for rooms and doorways and having pipelines for anesthesia (Ura, 8/29).

Politico: Federal Judge Blocks Texas Abortion Clinic Law
Yeakel said the measure, which was set to take effect Monday, would impose "an unconstitutional undue burden on women throughout Texas and must be enjoined." At least a dozen clinics would have had to close, leaving fewer than seven facilities in operation. ... The state is expected to appeal (Villacorta, 8/29).

The Associated Press: Federal Judge Halts Key Part Of Texas Abortion Law
The trial in Texas was the latest battle over tough new abortion restrictions sweeping across the U.S. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, a Republican who is the favorite to become governor next year, vowed to appeal to try to uphold the law. ... Clinics called it a backdoor effort to outlaw abortions, which has been a constitutional right since the Roe v. Wade ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973. ... Some [clinics] already no longer offer abortions after another part of the 2013 bill required doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals (Weber, 8/29).