The Supreme Court has struck down a Louisiana law regulating abortion clinics, reasserting a commitment to abortion rights over fierce opposition from dissenting conservative justices in the first big abortion case of the Trump era.
Chief Justice John Roberts joined with his four more liberal colleagues in ruling that the law requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals violates the abortion right the court first announced in the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.
In two previous abortion cases, Roberts had favored restrictions.
ACLU of Nevada Interim Co-Director Macy Haverda said:
“Today’s ruling is a win, but until all people can obtain the care they need, the constitutional right to abortion exists in name only. Those in rural communities, those without the financial resources, those unable to take the time off work, and those unable to secure adequate childcare still face barriers to access. We have a long way to go to ensure that abortion care is truly accessible for all Nevadans.”
(AP contributed to this report.)
