Texas Gov. Rick Perry has praised a federal appeals court ruling on Thursday that upheld new abortion restrictions in the state that have already resulted in a dozen clinics being shut down.
A three-judge panel at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, all GOP appointees, found that the law did not create "undue burdens" on women planning to have abortions, according to the
Dallas Morning News.
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Perry, a potential Republican presidential candidate for 2016, declared that the ruling maintained the "culture of life in our state."
He said, "Today’s court decision is good news for Texas women and the unborn, and we will continue to fight for the protection of life and women’s health in Texas."
The new regulations instigated late last year include a mandate that doctors must have admitting privileges at hospitals within 30 miles of the clinics. It means that women may have to travel hundreds of miles or out of state to have abortions.
Another provision requires that abortion-causing medication must be administered under federal protocols, which have mainly been dropped in preference for lower dosages that cause fewer side effects, according to the Morning News.
But the bigger issue is whether the ruling will set a precedent in the nationwide abortion fight by allowing states to curtail the ability of doctors who provide abortions while also placing obstacles in the way of women seeking the procedure.
Abortion rights activists are likely to appeal for an entire new hearing before the 5th Circuit Court or take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Nancy Northup, president for the Center for Reproductive Rights, blasted the ruling, saying it "has turned a blind eye to the very real and devastating consequences that this law has had on thousands of Texas women, erecting barriers to abortion so high that women are simply left with no legal or safe options."
And referring to the landmark case that legalized abortions, she added, "Right now, the state of Texas is gutting the constitutional protections afforded by Roe v. Wade more than 40 years ago, leaving large swaths of Texas left without a provider."
The Morning News reported that courts have previously thrown out similar anti-abortion laws in Alabama, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Mississippi.
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