Legislation Banning Most Abortions Will Go Into Effect Wednesday
A law that would ban most abortions in Texas is set to go into effect Wednesday after 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals canceled a hearing on the matter that had been planned for Monday, the Texas Tribune reported.
The legislation, signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in May, prohibits abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which can be as early as six weeks, before many people know when they are pregnant. The measure also allows members of the general public to sue doctors and others they believe violated the law.
More than twenty abortion providers had hoped to block the law, which they called “bounty hunting scheme,” from taking effect. It would affect about 90 percent of abortions in the state of Texas that are now being performed, according to data from Whole’s Women Health.
