Federal appeals court orders clarification on SB8 enforcement from Texas Supreme Court
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Monday ruled that the Texas State Supreme Court must consider questions of enforcement of controversial abortion law SB8 before Whole Woman’s Health v. Jackson can continue in federal court. When a federal court must consider an unresolved issue of state law, it may ask the state’s [...]
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill Thursday guaranteeing abortion rights in the state. Murphy also signed legislation to expand contraception coverage under private insurance and Medicaid. The new legislation comes amid concerns that the US Supreme Court may overturn Roe v. Wade, leaving it up to individual states to regulate abortion. The court [...]
California legislature introduces legislation authorizing private citizen suits against gun industry
The California legislature proposed Assembly Bill 1594 (AB1594) Monday authorizing private citizens harmed by illegal gun use to sue manufacturers, distributors and sellers of firearms. The bill has been proposed under the direction and vision of California Governor Gavin Newsom who vowed to push this bill through the legislature in response to the Supreme Court [...]
2021 is ending sadly for Americans who believe in the rule of law, the supremacy of constitutional rights and/or the institutional authority and reputation of the US Supreme Court. On September 1 and again on December 10, five Supreme Court Justices essentially hoisted the white flag of surrender when presented with different challenges to S.B. [...]
The Supreme Court will overturn the law recognizing a woman’s fundamental right to choose an abortion. The only question is whether it will go even further and jeopardize women’s equality, reproductive rights, and family privacy rights for all. Pending in the Court is Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and the question of the constitutionality [...]
US Supreme Court sends Texas abortion case back to Fifth Circuit
The US Supreme Court Thursday agreed to put into effect its ruling from last week on Texas’ strict abortion law, sending the case back to the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Senate Bill 8 (SB 8) bans abortions as early as six weeks into the pregnancy. It was signed into law by [...]
FDA permanently lifts in-person restriction on access to abortion pill
The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced Thursday that it permanently lifted restrictions on access Mifeprex (mifepristone) and its generic versions, which are used with another medication to end an early pregnancy. The FDA confirmed that it conducted a review of its mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Program, conducting a benefits and [...]
JURIST is launching a new series of dispatches from major US states written by JURIST correspondents “on the ground” in those jurisdictions. JURIST Operations Director Ram Eachambadi files this report from Los Angeles. A day after the US Supreme Court’s refusal to block Texas Senate Bill 8 (SB8) for the second time, California Governor Gavin [...]
US Supreme Court refuses to block New York vaccine mandate for health care workers
The US Supreme Court Monday denied a request for relief from health care workers in New York seeking to block a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. New York’s mandate requires all health care workers to be vaccinated, with only a single narrow exception for those who have a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine. There are no [...]
Supreme Court narrows scope of potential challenges to Texas six-week abortion law
The Supreme Court on Friday refused for a second time to block Texas Senate Bill 8 (SB8), which bans abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy, in what may seem like a misleading 8-1 vote in favor of abortion providers’ attempts to challenge the law. The reason the 8-1 vote is misleading stems from [...]
