SCOTUS strikes down Louisiana law that limited access to abortion

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court yesterday struck down a 2014 Louisiana law that requires physicians who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. If the law had been upheld, it would have left the state  — which only has five doctors who perform abortions — with one operating abortion clinic and could have set a precedent for other states to enact similar laws to limit access to abortion. The latter may still be case: The Louisiana law, for instance, was similar to a Texas law that was also struck down by the Supreme Court in 2016 on the basis that the law created more burdens than benefits. “Even with today’s decision, we are under no illusion that the future of abortion rights in this country is secure," Guttmacher Institute President Herminia Palacio said in a statement.