TEXAS - Court Battle Begins Over New Abortion Regulations
http://www.texastribune.org/2013/10/21/abortion-rights-advocates-battle-state-court/
Seeking to block the state of Texas from implementing new abortion regulations, plaintiffs representing abortion providers argued Monday in a federal court that the states law violates the constitutional right of women to access the procedure. But the states attorneys defended Texas right to enact laws that advance protections for the life of a fetus.
U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel, who presided over the hearing, in which arguments are scheduled to wrap up on Tuesday, was clear about what the court's role was. This courts job is not to rule on whether women should be allowed abortions, said Yeakel, but to rule on whether or not this statute comes within the existing constitutional confine.
Given the significance of the law, Yeakel said he'd like to make a decision as soon as possible after arguments conclude.
The plaintiffs, who represent the majority of abortion providers in Texas ............