Today the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the right to abortion by striking down several anti-abortion laws in Louisiana. We celebrate the incredible clinics, providers and advocates in Louisiana who led this fight. Join us by supporting independent abortion clinics in Louisiana, the New Orleans Abortion Fund and the Louisiana Judicial Bypass Project.
In 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the right to abortion access in the landmark decision Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. That case involved TRAP laws (targeted restrictions on abortion providers) which had been enacted by the Texas state legislature in 2013. In Whole Woman’s Health the Court held that Texas’ TRAP laws placed an undue burden on abortion access and were unconstitutional.
However, only a handful of years later and after the addition of several conservative Justices to the bench, the Supreme Court agreed to review a set of identical TRAP laws that had been passed in Louisiana in the case June Medical Services v. Russo.
We are thankful that the U.S. Supreme Court has once again declared that targeting abortion providers is unacceptable. Had the Court upheld Louisiana’s TRAP laws, this case would have opened up the possibility for similar attacks on abortion in other states, including here in Texas. The work to overcome barriers to abortion like parental consent laws and 24-hour waiting periods continues, but for today we are heartened by this decision.
Jane’s Due Process will continue fighting for young people’s access to abortion no matter what. As always, teens can call or text us at 866-999-5263 for support around abortion access. And we will never stop working for a world in which everyone can get the reproductive healthcare they deserve free from barriers, stigma, and shame.
