Supreme Court to take up Texas abortion law but declines to block it

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(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court will take up the Texas abortion law on the merits next month in a rare highly-expedited case that could definitively resolve the fate of its six-week ban and unprecedented enforcement mechanism.

SB8 will remain in effect for the near future until the Court issues its decision, which wouldn’t typically be expected for weeks to months after a case is argued.

The justices granted the request of Texas abortion providers and civil rights groups to hear the case before lower courts ruled on the law.

They also said they would also examine the question of whether the U.S. government, in the separate case, could even seek an injunction against a state law like Texas’.

Oral arguments are set for Nov. 1 — one month before the court is already set to hear a milestone abortion rights case out of Mississippi.

The court said it deferred a decision on the Justice Department’s emergency request for the court to put SB8 back on hold and that it would wait for oral arguments before taking action. Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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