AUSTIN, Texas – A state judge has shielded Texas abortion clinics for the time being from lawsuits by an anti-abortion group under a new state abortion law in a narrow verdict issued on Friday.
The injunction issued on Friday by District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble in Austin in response to the application for planned parenthood does not conflict with the provision. However, it protects clinics from whistleblower lawsuits from the nonprofit group Texas Right to Life, its legislative director, and 100 unidentified individuals.
A hearing on a motion for an injunction has been scheduled for September 13th.
The law, which went into effect Wednesday, allows anyone, anywhere, to sue anyone in connection with an abortion that has detected heart activity in the embryo – just six weeks after pregnancy before most women even notice it are pregnant.
In a petition filed late Thursday, Planned Parenthood said about 85% to 90% of people who have an abortion in Texas are at least six weeks pregnant.
The order “provides shelter to the brave health care providers and workers at Planned Parenthood health centers across Texas who continue to receive the best possible care within the law while exposed to surveillance, harassment and threats from vigilantes who want to stop them.” Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Helene Krasnoff said in a statement.
The order won’t deter Texas Right to Life’s efforts, however, said Elizabeth Graham, the group’s vice president. In a statement, the group said, “We expect an impartial court to dismiss Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit. Until then, we will continue our diligent efforts to ensure that the abortion industry fully complies with the new law.”
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