WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. Supreme Court granted writs of certiorari in three abortion-related cases coming out of the state of Louisiana. The Court has consolidated the cases.
The Court will hear arguments on Louisiana’s 2014 Unsafe Abortion Protection Act which requires that abortionists have admitting privileges to a hospital within 30 miles of an abortion clinic.
Pro-abortion attorneys have argued that the Louisiana law should be ruled unconstitutional under the precedent of Whole Women’s Health v. Hellerstedt. The Texas law required abortionists to have admitting privileges and required abortion clinics to meet the same standard as ambulatory surgical centers. However, the Louisiana law does not require clinics to meet the ambulatory surgical center requirements.
“Abortion is a risky procedure and it is vital that a woman receive critical care quickly when something goes wrong in an abortion,” stated Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “For a movement that purports to advocate for women’s health, it is bizarre that the abortion industry opposes laws like this. What are they so afraid of? What’s wrong with the abortionist that he can’t get admitting privileges at a hospital?”
Tobias continued, “There are numerous cases of complications following abortions that have required women to seek emergency medical treatment. Ensuring that abortionists have admitting privileges is the very least the abortion industry can do to protect women.”
In granting writs of certiorari in these cases, the U.S. Supreme Court will also be looking at third-party standing: whether abortionists can sue on behalf of patients who have not actually come forward to challenge a law.
The press release from Louisiana Right to Life, the National Right to Life affiliate for the state of Louisiana, can be found here.
Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of 50 state right-to-life affiliates and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, NRLC works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.