Court urged to block Texas abortion law

Abortion rights groups are petitioning the Supreme Court to block the enforcement of a Texas law that could stop abortion services at many clinics.

In an emergency application Monday, groups representing Texas abortion providers urged the court to reinstate an injunction issued last month by a federal judge.

{mosads}That order would have blocked a provision of Texas law requiring abortion providers to obtain admitting privileges at a local hospital, part of a larger package of anti-abortion measures.

The federal judge ruled that the requirement places an “undue burden” on women seeking to terminate their pregnancies. Many clinics would likely stop providing abortion services, forcing patients to travel several hours on multiple days to obtain a procedure.

Monday’s court filing comes after a back-and-forth in which the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the decision by the federal judge, allowing the new rule to take effect.

More than one-third of abortion providers in Texas have suspended their services since the injunction was lifted last week, according to the filing.

Supporters of admitting privileges requirements say they protect patients from bad actors and when there are complications during a procedure.