Washington Among 23 States Requesting Halt To Texas Abortion Law

OLYMPIA, WA — Washington has joined 22 other states in demanding that Texas' controversial abortion ban be put on hold until the current appeals have been resolved.

Texas' Senate Bill 8, also known as SB8, prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity — usually around six weeks after conception, before some women know they're pregnant. Critics, including Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, say the bill is an unconstitutional attack on reproductive freedom.

"Supreme Court precedent is clear — access to an abortion is a constitutional right," Ferguson said. "Texas is denying access to this reproductive health care for virtually everyone in their state. This is both wrong and unlawful."

The bill took effect on Sept. 1 after the Supreme Court declined an emergency appeal from abortion providers asking that the law be stayed. Following the Supreme Court's inaction, the attorneys general have now turned to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas for help stalling the law.

In their missive to the District Court, the 24 attorneys general argue that SB8 will cause "great harm" and not just in Texas:

"S.B. 8 has also already had impacts outside of Texas’s borders. Clinics in nearby states, including Amici States, have already experienced a marked increase in “desperate” calls from people in Texas. For example, clinics in Colorado, Oklahoma, and Kansas have already experienced an increase in inquiries and are anticipating a “patient increase of up to 40%” as a result of S.B. 8, forcing them to “ramp up supplies and staffing.” In New Mexico, all abortion clinics were reportedly booked up for weeks just one day after S.B. 8 went into effect."

Their request comes the same day that the Department of Justice asked the same court to stop enforcing the abortion ban. Last week, the DOJ also filed a suit in Texas demanding that a federal judge declare the law invalid.

Related: Justice Department Seeks To Stop Enforcement Of TX Abortion Law

Wednesday's brief was signed by attorneys general representing California, Colorado, New Mexico, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Oregon, among others.

Here in Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee championed the decision and thanked Ferguson for speaking out.

"I'm proud that we have strong protections for people seeking an abortion in Washington state," Inslee said. "The rest of the country deserves the same protections."

Patch editor Meagan Falcon contributed to this report.