Texas AG Ken Paxton Announces State Will Appeal Ruling That Blocked Abortion Law

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced that the state will appeal a ruling from U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman that blocked its controversial abortion restrictions.

“We disagree with the Court’s decision and have already taken steps to immediately appeal it to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said on Twitter this morning. “The sanctity of human life is, and will always be, a top priority for me.”

We disagree with the Court's decision and have already taken steps to immediately appeal it to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The sanctity of human life is, and will always be, a top priority for me.

— Texas Attorney General (@TXAG) October 7, 2021

The law prohibits virtually all abortions after a heartbeat is detected, which is typically after six weeks of pregnancy and empowers citizens to file lawsuits against abortion providers suspected of violating the new policy.

The law, referred to as a “fetal heartbeat bill,” would also allow citizens to file lawsuits against abortion providers suspected of violating the new policy.

The Supreme Court voted 5-4 not to block its implementation, saying abortion providers had not met the burden required for a stay of the law.

Late yesterday, Judge Pitman blocked the enforcement of the law, known as S.B. 8, saying Texas had designed a legislative scheme that targets women and bypasses their constitutional protections.

“From the moment S.B. 8 went into effect, women have been unlawfully prevented from exercising control over their lives in ways that are protected by the Constitution,” Pitman wrote. “That other courts may find a way to avoid this conclusion is theirs to decide; this Court will not sanction one more day of this offensive deprivation of such an important right.”