Column
Celebrate This Abortion Rights Victory. Then Prepare for the Next Attack.
Another abortion rights disaster has been averted, but don’t get complacent: More are on their way
Remember what good news feels like? The Supreme Court ruled Monday against a Louisiana law mandating abortion providers have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals — a policy that could have closed down all of the state’s few abortion clinics.
Since there are so few bright spots these days, I plan on spending some time basking in the unfamiliar glow of a win — but, as NARAL Pro-Choice America president Ilyse Hogue put it, “Let’s make sure we’re ready for the next attack.”
Because while the SCOTUS decision is a loss for conservatives — and, boy, are they mad — it won’t necessarily change their tactics that brought us the Louisiana law in the first place.
The law, enacted in 2014, is part of a broad anti-abortion strategy that hinges on so-called targeted regulation of abortion providers (TRAP) laws — policies that chip away at the ability of abortion providers to remain open. TRAP laws can range from requiring janitor’s closets be a certain size to mandating that clinics operate in far more complicated and expensive facilities than needed. Their…
