Supreme Court Allows Texas Abortion Law to Remain in Place, Sets Oral Arguments for Nov. 1

In two orders issued Friday, the Supreme Court declined the Justice Department’s request to temporarily block Texas’ controversial abortion law but said it would hear oral arguments in two cases challenging the law starting Nov. 1. Neither case will address abortion rights directly; the court limited United States v. Texas, the Justice Department’s case against the Texas law, to the question of whether the federal government could sue to block enforcement of state laws. Whole Woman’s Health v. Jackson, a case brought by abortion providers, focuses on the Texas law’s unusual enforcement method. Justice Sotomayor, the sole dissenter, wrote that leaving the Texas law in place would cause women to suffer personal harm from delaying abortion procedures while awaiting the court's ruling.

Coverage was more prominently featured in left- and center-rated outlets on Friday evening. Coverage in these outlets tended to focus on the court’s decision to allow to Texas abortion law to remain in place. Coverage in some right-rated outlets focused on the court scheduling oral arguments for Nov. 1.