Texas' 6-week abortion law goes into effect, clinics had already begun turning away patients

At midnight on Wednesday, a newly restrictive abortion law went into effect in Texas, where some clinics had already begun turning away patients.

Since the middle of last month, Planned Parenthood centers in Texas that provide abortion services ceased scheduling abortion appointments for after Sept. 1, a decision brought about by the new law, which bans abortions as early as six weeks into term.

The law will prohibit roughly 90% of the type of abortions that take place in the state and allow individuals to sue abortion providers or anyone else who may have helped someone get an abortion past the six-week mark. 

President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Alexis McGill Johnson says that the law will force "those seeking to end their pregnancy to travel hundreds of miles out of state for their abortion."

She also said the "unconstitutional law is a full-scale assault on patients, their health care providers and their support systems."

Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life group, says Americans are "eager to humanize our extreme, outdated abortion laws," and that the hope is that "the Court will finally unshackle all states to protect the most vulnerable among us." 

Several abortion providers filed an emergency request with the Supreme Court this week to block the law, though the Court has not yet weighed in.