First person in line to watch SCOTUS abortion arguments arrived on Monday
About 40 people were in line at midnight to hear Wednesday’s oral arguments in an abortion case before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday.
The first person in line arrived at 11 a.m. on Monday, the Washington Post reports. The story describes her as “an older woman, armed with a lawn chair, an umbrella, a vast blue tarp and strong opinions.”
Those in line suffered through rain, wind and cold.
At issue in Whole Women’s Health v. Hellerstedt is the constitutionality of two Texas abortion regulations. One requires abortion clinics to meet standards for ambulatory surgery centers. The other requires doctors who perform abortions to have admission privileges at a nearby hospital.
Lawyers arguing the case are expected to pitch their arguments to Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who has “upheld every abortion restriction he has ever considered save one,” the Washington Post reports in another story. The law he voted to strike down required women to notify their husbands before getting an abortion.
Kennedy could vote with the court’s four liberals to strike down the measures. Or he could side with conservatives, resulting in a 4-4 split. That would let stand a federal appeals court ruling that could reduce the number of abortion clinics in Texas to about 10, compared to the 40 that were previously operating, the New York Times reports.
The ABA Journal previews the case here, while the Washington Post has additional stories here and here.
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