Austin abortion mill closes; another HB2 victory protecting women

Texas abortion chain, Whole Women’s Health, has shuttered the doors of another affiliate in Austin thanks to the continued success of pro-woman provisions in HB2.

The abortion mill, one of Whole Women Health’s last remaining facilities, decided not to renew its lease or its annual $5,000 license, according to Cosmopolitan. Although Whole Women’s Health continues to challenge the HB2 provisions that led to the closure of the Austin abortion mill, they appear to be as confident as we are that Life and women’s health will win in district court.

Proceedings in the case, Whole Women’s Health v. Lackey et. al, begin today. The court will decide whether to side with WWH and block the provision of HB requiring abortion mills to meet ambulatory surgical center standards – a requirement slated to go into effect September 1. The plaintiff also hopes the court will grant two other WWH affiliates exceptions on HB2’s admitting privileges clause (their abortionists were denied them at nearby hospitals).

“It would be delightful to be able to reopen in McAllen if we could get relief from the ASC and admitting privileges requirements,” said the CEO of Whole Women’s Health. “I’ve kept the offices fully furnished, and all the equipment is still there and ready to go if we have a win.” To bring that innocent-sounding statement into the light of stark reality, the CEO is referring to “equipment” that is used to dismember, disintegrate, and suction pre-born Texas children out of their mother’s wombs. Pro-Life Texans desperately hope that this equipment will remain in the current state of disuse. The fate of pre-born children is hanging in the tenuous balance of a decision by the district court.

The abortion “love” continues to gush from the CEO, who says she would “love” to re-open the Austin clinic that is now closed, but admits that this would be a difficult process. Thanks to the Life-affirming provisions of HB2, Whole Women’s Health would have to convince the court that women should be subjected to substandard care at non-ambulatory abortion mills in order to start committing abortions there again—a feat that would defy common sense and a basic level of human compassion.