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The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear a Louisiana abortion case that deals with a 2014 state law requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges. The Supreme Court shot down a nearly-identical Texas law in 2016. Loyola University Law Professor Dane Ciolino says this case will tell us where the nation’s highest court stands on abortion.
“It gives the Supreme Court a chance to, if it wants to go in that direction, to substantially reshape the landscape of national law on abortion,” said Ciolino.
Only three clinics in the state provide abortions and opponents of the Louisiana law say it could close two of them. Ciolino says the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case gives the nation’s highest court a chance to reshape the nation’s law on abortion.
“Something that many have either feared or hoped for,” said Ciolino.
Arguments on the Louisiana case are expected during the winter, which means a ruling would come down before June of 2020. Ciolino says it’s a big ruling to make during a presidential election year…
“Here it appears we are again, for better or for worse, we are right in the middle of the abortion wars that have been raging in America since the late 60’s or early 70’s,” said Ciolino.
This is the first major abortion case taken up by the court since the appointment of conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
