(TheIndependentStar.com) – After Texas passed a controversial abortion law earlier this year, one of the strictest in the country, opponents quickly filed objections with the courts. The case is now before the US Supreme Court, where the justices will make a landmark decision that could alter abortion rights in the country.
The Supreme Court fast-tracked this case by voting to consider it on October 22. The vote allows it to bypass lower courts. Justices are not ruling on the constitutionality of the law and the ban. Instead, they are determining if the structure of the bill is valid.
U.S. Supreme Court hears challenges to Texas near-total abortion ban https://t.co/u1ijgcRjkG pic.twitter.com/TcGHeojDGP
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 1, 2021
The legislation allows individuals to sue anyone who performs or helps a woman to get an abortion after a detectable heartbeat in the fetus. It essentially bans abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.
The fact that it moves enforcement rights to private citizens instead of the state makes this different from other legislation because it protects the state from any legal repercussions. This has opponents upset that Texas is creating a way for states to evade judicial review, which prompted the request for the nation’s highest court to hear the case.
The Supreme Court has a conservative majority, so pro-life advocates are hoping the justices will uphold the law and allow for more stringent abortion restrictions throughout the country. The Court will begin hearing arguments in the case on November 1.
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