WASHINGTON — The US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law on Monday that imposes tough regulations on the state’s abortion clinics, setting the stage for a new wave of lawsuits that could overturn similar state laws across the country.
In a 5-3 decision, the court ruled that the Texas law imposes an “undue burden” on women seeking abortions because its regulations have forced too many clinics to shut down. The law could have left as few as 10 clinics in the entire state if it were allowed to take full effect, down from 20 now, according to abortion law experts.
Other clinics haven’t been able to meet the law’s main standards: Their building codes have to be the same as ambulatory surgical centers — facilities that let people get same-day surgery outside of hospitals — and their doctors have to have admitting privileges at hospitals within 30 miles of the clinics.
