"In our view, the record contains sufficient evidence that the admitting-privileges requirement led to the closure of half of Texas’ clinics, or thereabouts," Breyer wrote. "Each places a substantial obstacle in the path of women seeking a previability abortion, each constitutes an undue burden on abortion access, and each violates the Federal Constitution." The Supreme Court was also deeply skeptical of the mini hospital requirement, which it said "does not benefit patients and is not necessary," particularly for medication-induced abortions and even for surgical abortions. WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court struck as unconstitutional part of a restrictive Texas statute that threatened to shutter half of the state's remaining abortion clinics and deny millions of women the right to a safe abortion. On the ground, these requirements have turned out to be onerously prohibitive for smaller abortion clinics in Texas, forcing many to close since parts of HB 2 went into effect.

Source: Huffington Post June 27, 2016 14:09 UTC