One year ago today, we celebrated the Supreme Court decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt that struck down House Bill 2, Texas’s omnibus abortion bill that passed in 2013 despite Wendy Davis’s filibuster. We fought against HB2 every step of the way, since it had a disproportionate impact on the people we serve: youth, low-income people, and people of color.
Our legal director, Susan Hays, interviewed on MSNBC on June 27, 2016
JDP is especially proud to be part of celebrating this historical milestone, since we submitted one of the over 40 amicus briefs filed in support of women’s right to self-determination and bodily autonomy. Our brief, submitted by our legal director, Susan Hays, and available in its entirety here, argued that HB2 did create an undue burden for people in Texas trying to access abortion, using examples from our experience providing services to Janes and adult callers to our hotline before and after HB2. We highly encourage you to read the brief, especially their stories. The amicus briefs, along with extensive research by the Texas Policy Evaluation Project, were considered by the Justices as they came to their conclusion in the case.
Board member Marilyn Burgess celebrates with Representative Gene Wu in Houston on June 27, 2016
SCOTUS’s landmark decision on June 27, 2016 struck down some of Texas’ sham abortion laws that caused so much emotional and physical harm to the women whose stories are told in our brief. The Justices’ decision attempted to make it clear that politicians cannot use deceptive regulations to shut down abortion clinics and block women’s access to essential reproductive health care services. When it comes to reproductive rights, facts, science and the rule of law will always prevail.
Our Executive Director, Tina Hester, gives a speech with the signature JDP uterus at the Austin celebration on June 26, 2016.
The fight didn’t end with this victory, but this historic win gives the Center for Reproductive Rights, the ACLU, abortion clinics, and other litigants the power to file additional lawsuits to dismantle similar barriers to abortion services.
Then-Board Member Amanda Stevenson reps JDP at the oral arguments for WWH v. Hellerstedt in March 2016
Although the vast majority of Texas cities still lack abortion services, we were thrilled when Planned Parenthood reopened their abortion clinic in Waco, Texas, and look forward to more providers coming back in East, West, South, and Central Texas.
Executive Director Tina Hester and then Client Services Director Emily Rooke-Ley celebrate the SCOTUS decision.
No matter what additional challenges minors in Texas face, from legislation such as SB8 or rules requiring fetal tissue burial, we’ll be here to support minors as they navigate the barriers to care, until the day they won’t need us anymore.
