AUSTIN, TX (AP) – A Texas judge says the state’s abortion ban has proven too restrictive for women with pregnancy complications and must allow exceptions without the risk of doctors facing criminal charges.
The ruling Friday is the first to undercut Texas’ abortion ban since it took effect last year. The decision delivers a major victory to abortion rights supporters who see the case as a potential blueprint to weaken restrictions that Republicans have rushed to implement elsewhere in the U.S.
The challenge is believed to be the first in the U.S. by women who were denied abortions after the new bans. The state is expected to seek a swift appeal and has argued that the Texas law already allows for exceptions.
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