Court panel a blow to Texas abortion providers

In a blow to abortion providers, the federal appeals court panel that will determine if the state’s tighter abortion regulations are constitutional includes two judges who strongly backed other parts of the law, known as House Bill 2, in a previous ruling.

All three judges on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals panel, which was named Monday, were appointed by former President George W. Bush — Jennifer Walker Elrod, Catharina Haynes and Edward Prado.

Elrod and Haynes were on a separate panel that last March upheld HB2’s requirement that abortion doctors obtain admitting privileges in a nearby hospital, ruling that the regulation didn’t unconstitutionally limit access to abortion, despite forcing clinics to close.

The current case, which will be argued Jan. 7 in New Orleans, will determine if Texas can enforce an HB2 provision requiring abortions to be performed in facilities that meet the same standards as ambulatory surgical centers. Only seven or eight clinics meet the standard.

Read more: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/court-panel-a-blow-to-texas-abortion-providers/njcPT/