The U.S. Supreme Court opted not to block a Texas law that effectively outlawed abortion after 6 weeks. Most partisan coverage hewed closely to their sides’ talking points.
Summary
A Texas state law passed earlier this year prohibiting abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected was left in place by an emergency ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.
- The emergency petition was denied by a 5-4 ruling with Chief Justice John Roberts joining the Court’s 3 liberals.
- The order denied that the petitioners’ compelling argument warranted further consideration and is considered “a major milestone in the fight over abortion.”
- Dissents of the opinion blasted the majority for “its increasing reliance on its emergency docket to make decisions of great significance to the country.”
- Texas is only one of a handful of states seeking to restrict abortion access.
- The New York Times opinion section published Gail Collins, who derisively mocked Texas while also insulting Mississippi, writing we are in “perilous times for women’s right to choose.”
- NPR, like most publications, was emphatic readers know “six weeks of pregnancy is well before most women even know they are pregnant.”
- CNN played up the drama by noting dissenting opinions omitted the word “respectfully.”
- Townhall.com’s report on the ruling noted Chief Justice Roberts has a history of siding with the liberal wing of the Court on abortion-related cases.
- Breitbart studiously avoided well-known facts about the ruling, writing the majority’s “precise reasoning” “remains unclear”, despite the fact that an unsigned majority opinion made clear the case raised “serious questions regarding the constitutionality” of the law.
- Fox News provided a counterbalance to Breitbart, noting up front that the procedural ruling will allow for future challenges to the law.
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© Dallas Gerber, 2021
