Planned Parenthood and the Center for Reproductive Rights have partnered with an abortion rights law firm to sue the state of Texas after Republican governor Greg Abbott declared abortion services “non-essential” amid the coronavirus crisis, forcing the nation’s largest abortion provider to shutter its doors.
Abbott issued the ban, Fox News reports, to protect the state’s supply of emergency medical equipment and personal protective gear “after warnings from health care professionals that patients sick with the coronavirus might overwhelm hospital capacity and deplete supplies, such as personal protective equipment for doctors and nurses.”
The governor implored health care providers like Planned Parenthood to postpone any procedures that are not medically necessary and donate their medical supplies to doctors and hospitals treating an influx of coronavirus patients.
Planned Parenthood, however, does not believe abortions are “non-essential” services and, Wednesday night, announced in an email to supporters that it would be suing governor Abbott to continue its practice statewide.
“Gov. Abbott and anti-abortion activists nationwide are forcing a legal and political fight in the middle of a public health crisis,” Planned Parenthood’s acting president said in her letter. “Elected leaders are expending valuable time and resources exploiting a global pandemic to score political points instead of rallying to respond to this crisis.” – READ MORE
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