Houston Chronicle: Judge weighs injunction against Texas abortion law
By Chris Tomlinson
“A federal judge will hear arguments Wednesday on whether to stop Texas from enforcing a new law requiring doctors to conduct a sonogram before performing an abortion.
The so-called sonogram law, which takes effect Sept. 1, requires a doctor to describe the fetus’ features and allow the pregnant woman to hear the fetal heartbeat. The law does not allow women to opt-out of the description. Exemptions are allowed only cases of rape or incest and when the fetus has fatal abnormalities. The Center for Reproductive Rights filed the federal lawsuit last month, arguing that the law is unconstitutional. U.S. District Court Judge Sam Sparks will hear the case in Austin. The group is asking Sparks to impose an injunction to keep the law from being enforced until the lawsuit is resolved. The law ‘damages the relationship of trust between physician and patient, and with compelled and unwanted speech imposes stress and emotional strain on women as they prepare to undergo a medical procedure,’ the Center argues in its lawsuit.”
Read the complete Associated Press story on the Houston Chronicle website >
