Late last night, the Supreme Court upheld the protections of Whole Woman’s Health vs. Hellerstedt in their decision to block a law in Louisiana, almost identical to Texas’ HB2, that would have forced all but one of the state’s abortion clinics to close overnight. As abortion providers, we know the feelings of fear and uncertainty that arise when our patients’ lives are caught up in political fights. And we know the great feeling of relief and joy that comes with last-minute news that your patients will be able to receive the care they need. Louisianans, we’re happy for you.

No person should ever be forced to wait for intervention from the Supreme Court when they need healthcare. The laws that we’re fighting against are unconstitutional, immoral, and inhumane. The fight to protect abortion access is far from over, but we’re in it for the long run.

When we sued the state of Texas in 2014, we didn’t know Whole Woman’s Health vs. Hellerstedt would become a household name and one of the most important abortion cases in a quarter of a century; of use to people beyond Texas’ boarders and across our country. All we knew was, our patients needed us. So, we fought for them. We salute our colleagues in Louisiana today for doing the same. It is always the right time to do the next right thing.

Amy Hagstrom Miller
President and CEO, Whole Woman’s Health