Texas Abortion Ban Halted — For Now

A judge ruled that SB 8, the most restrictive abortion ban in the country, was “flagrantly unconstitutional”

Tessa Stuart

Politics Staff Writer

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AUSTIN, TX - SEPT 1: Pro-choice protesters march outside the Texas State Capitol on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021 in Austin, TX. Texas passed SB8 which effectively bans nearly all abortions and it went into effect Sept. 1. A request to the Supreme Court to block the bill went unanswered and the Court still has yet to take any action on it. (Sergio Flores For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The most restrictive abortion ban in the country, Texas’ Senate Bill 8, has been lifted — at least for now. On Wednesday night, United States District Judge Robert Pittman suspended enforcement of the law, which empowered anyone, anywhere, to sue Texas doctors, nurses, clergy, Uber drivers — anyone construed to have “aided and abetted” an abortion that took place after six weeks gestation — for a $10,000 bounty, plus legal fees.