A federal judge has ruled out against Texas' abortion regulations. U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel cited that most abortion clinics in Texas will have to close down because owners refused to upgrade their facilities to meet the new basic health and safety standards that will take effect on Monday.
The federal judge had announced that all abortion clinics are now required to meet the same standards as ambulatory surgical centers. They were asked to widen their corridors to allow stretchers and paramedics to pass through into the clinic and hospital. Other aspects of the clinics were also requested to be upgraded but most clinic owners have expressed that it was too costly for them to meet such requirements. They expressed that these demands "imposes an undue burden on women seeking an abortion."
Other requirements that the judge demanded abortion clinic owners were asked to meet included adequate plumbing, heating, lighting and ventilation and other equipment that can sterilize surgical instruments.
Judge Yeakel wrote in his decision that "The court concludes that the act's [House Bill 2] ambulatory surgical center requirement, combined with the already-in-effect admitting privileges requirement, creates a brutally effective system of abortion regulation that reduces accesses to abortion clinics, thereby creating a statewide burden for a substantial number of Texas women."
Out of 19 abortion clinics in Texas, it is believed that only 7 of them meet the new standards that were demanded by the federal judge. By September 1st, all the other abortion clinics that chose not to upgrade their facilities will have to close down. The clinic owners were given one year to meet the new standards, but many have expressed that they would rather close their business than pay to meet the requirements.
