Planned Parenthood drops challenge to Lubbock's abortion ban

by Eleanor Klibanoff, Texas Tribune


When the idea of banning abortion in Lubbock first came up, the city council declined to take it up, arguing the proposal conflicted with state law and federal court precedent.

Residents passed the ordinance through a ballot initiative anyway in May 2021, empowering private citizens, rather than public officials, to bring lawsuits against anyone who assists someone getting an abortion, like by driving them to a clinic — which the ordinance refers to as “aiding or abetting.”

The ordinance was immediately challenged in court. But now, eight months later, Planned Parenthood has dropped that legal challenge, saying “it is clear we cannot depend on the courts to protect our constitutional rights.”

It is the latest sign of how the legal protections for abortion have been weakened over the last year, thanks to a more conservative U.S. Supreme Court and a legal loophole identified by Texas politicians.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2022/01/25/planned-parenthood-appeal-lubbock-abortion/