HOUSTON — In Texas, the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade has ignited a series of legal battles.
Late Friday night, the Texas Supreme Court blocked a lower court order that temporarily allowed clinics to continue performing abortions. The legal move comes just days as some doctors resumed seeing patients.
Saturday, members of Houston’s Party of Socialism and Liberation, an abortion-rights group, gathered in front of Houston's City Hall in an effort to fight for abortion access in Texas.
"We need our local politicians here to listen up to provide sanctuary because other cities around the country have been able to provide to do this and say we will provide sanctuary,” said Sophie Perrault.
Anti-abortion-rights groups praised the Texas Supreme Court’s latest ruling.
In a statement, Texas Right to Life President Dr. John Seago commented:
“Preborn children deserve justice. We are thankful the Texas Supreme Court rescinded this temporary restraining order that abortionists were using as an excuse to continue their murderous practice."
An order by a Houston judge earlier this week had reassured some clinics they could temporarily resume abortions up to six weeks into pregnancy
The state’s highest court, which is majority Republican put the order on hold following Attorney General Ken Paxton's resurrection of the state’s 1925 abortion law written prior to the 19-73 Roe vs. Wade ruling.
KHOU 11 legal analyst Carmen Roe highlighted what the temporary stay means moving forward.
“The Texas Attorney General is essentially arguing these laws on the books before Roe v. Wade was decided weren't repealed just because we haven't used them doesn't mean they're not effective laws," said Roe.
A hearing on the temporary stay is scheduled for mid-July
“The Texas Supreme Court has granted a stay to determine whether or not those laws can be enforced even though they haven't been used in Texas for almost 50 years," Roe explained.
However, she pointed to Texas’ trigger law that is expected to go in place shortly after.
“In Texas, once the trigger law goes into effect, essentially it will ban abortions in Texas based on the overturn of the Roe. vs. Wade ruling, which prohibited those laws from being enforced in Texas," said Roe.