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Protesters took to the streets in Austin and across Texas this week after a leaked draft opinion obtained by Politico indicated that the U.S. Supreme Court intends to overturn Roe v. Wade, effectively ending all constitutional protections for abortions.
Texas already has the most restrictive abortion law in the country under a unique civil enforcement mechanism that bans the procedure after about six weeks of pregnancy.
Despite this restriction, abortion remains legal in Texas, but if the Court overturns Roe v. Wade, a so-called trigger law passed by the Legislature in 2021 that bans almost all abortions would go into effect 30 days later. The court’s final ruling is expected this summer.
Todd Wiseman contributed to this video.
Disclosure: Politico has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
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