An abortion restrictions measure, Senate Bill 8 by State Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Round Rock), has been blocked by a federal judge with the Western District of Texas.
Judge Earl Leroy Yeakel III, a George W. Bush appointee, ruled in late November that the law, which was supposed to go into effect on December 1st of this year, was unconstitutional.
The bill prevents the practice of dismemberment abortions, whereby a baby is ripped apart in the womb while that same baby’s heart is still beating.
Yeakel initially issued a temporary injunction in August, and in his most recent ruling, struck down the law shortly before its December 1st effective date.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton expressed his intent to challenge the ruling in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, to which Judges Don Willett and James C. Ho were just nominated by President Trump.
In a statement, Paxton said, “through extraordinary evidence and expert witness testimony, we established that Senate Bill 8 is lawful, treats the unborn with dignity and respect, and protects the integrity of the medical profession. We will defend Senate Bill 8 all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary.”
Paxton and the state of Texas are no strangers to activist judges attempting to legislate from the bench. SB 8 is a commonsense measure that protects the unborn from an inhumane method of abortion and is well within constitutional boundaries. Paxton is correct, and should continue to support and fight for its legality as the law’s adjudication moves forward.
