The Supreme Court of the United States has struck down a restrictive Texas law that required clinics that provide abortions to have surgical facilities and doctors with admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, NPR reports, ruling the restrictions unconstitutional.
In a 5-3 decision in the case, Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, the court overturned a decision made by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which had upheld the law.
Texas had argued that the restrictions protected women's safety, but as NPR notes, medical groups such as the American Medical Association and the American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists argued that the law did the exact opposite.
In the majority opinion, Justice Stephen Breyer wrote that the restrictions "vastly increase the obstacles confronting women seeking abortions in Texas without providing any benefit to women's health capable of withstanding any meaningful scrutiny."
Read more at NPR.