Texas abortion providers ask federal court to block portion of stringent state law

Owners of abortion clinics in the state are seeking relief from enforcement of a state law that is set to take effect Sept. 1. It sets out the same strict building and equipment regulations that are applied to ambulatory surgical centers. Monday marked the first day of court room action.

The New York Times: Abortion Providers In Texas Press Judge To Block Portions Of New Law
Owners of Texas abortion clinics asked a federal judge on Monday to block enforcement of stringent new building and equipment standards, set to take effect on Sept. 1, that they say could force more than half the state's remaining abortion clinics to shut down, leaving fewer than 10 across a sprawling state (Fernandez and Eckholm, 8/4).

Texas Tribune: Opening Statements Made In Trial Over Abortion Regulation
On the first day of a trial over a new abortion regulation scheduled to take effect next month, attorneys for Texas abortion providers called witnesses who testified that the new requirement would leave low-income women in rural areas without reasonable access to abortion services. The witnesses testified Monday after both sides made their opening arguments in a federal district court in Austin on the regulation, which would require abortion facilities to meet the same regulations as ambulatory surgical centers, or ASCs (Ura and Edelman, 8/4).

Dallas Morning News: Texas Abortion Clinics Fight Rules in Federal Court
Abortion providers argued Monday that 14 of the state's remaining 20 abortion clinics would close by the end of August if new requirements are allowed to take effect. In a case before U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel, the providers said the requirement that all clinics meet high surgical standards is medically unnecessary, costly and unconstitutionally inconvenient for Texas women. The arguments are the second challenge of a sweeping law passed last year that bans abortion after 20 weeks, requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, and requires facilities to meet space and safety rules of ambulatory surgical centers (Martin, 8/4).