By Dave Andrusko

The Supreme Court is considering an emergency appeal from a coalition of abortion organizations that is challenging Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order that included abortion among non-essential medical procedures banned during the state of emergency resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The appeal, filed by Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights and the Lawyering Project, followed a whirlwind of activity last week.
Last Thursday, reliably pro-abortion U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel ruled that Gov. Abbott’s executive order issued would be lifted for “medication” [chemical] abortions and for women whose pregnancies would pass the legal 22-week gestational limit.
On Friday a three-judge panel partially rescinded Yeakel’s ruling. By a vote of 2-1, the appeals court panel, would allow an abortion “if delays would place the pregnancy beyond the 22-week state cutoff for abortions,” according to various news accounts.
The following Saturday afternoon, CBS News reported, “the coalition of abortion rights groups challenging the state’s suspension of abortion services filed for an emergency stay, requesting that the Supreme Court block a federal appeals court’s decision to uphold most of the ban.”
The Texas Tribune quoted Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, who said, “The court is unjustifiably forcing women to wait until the 11th hour to get the time-sensitive, essential healthcare that they are constitutionally guaranteed,” adding, “We will pursue all legal options to ensure no women are left behind.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton again blasted the abortion industry. “Abortion facilities continue to demand special treatment not available to any other health care provider in Texas. Under the Governor’s Executive Order, all health care facilities and professionals in Texas must cease and delay elective medical procedures to ensure that hospitals and their staff have access to urgently needed personal protective equipment and hospital beds during this unprecedented crisis. By demanding special treatment to continue to provide medical procedures deemed unnecessary during this health crisis, abortion providers are withholding desperately needed medical supplies for those combating the Coronavirus across the state.”
A decision on the emergency appeal is expected at any time from the United States Supreme Court.
