The U.S. Supreme Court said it will hear arguments on an expedited basis on a Texas law that has largely stopped legal abortion in the state, leaving the restrictions in place for now while raising the stakes in what will be a pivotal term for reproductive rights.
The measure, which is being challenged by clinics and the Biden administration, bans abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy, far earlier than the Supreme Court has previously allowed.
The Nov. 1 arguments will center on the law’s novel enforcement mechanism rather than the underlying abortion right. The law lets private parties, but not government officials, sue clinics and people who help facilitate abortions, leaving it unclear how a court could effectively stop the law. Critics say the provision has stymied efforts to block a blatantly unconstitutional law.
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