Texas Supreme Court rules against clinics' challenge to state abortion law

The Texas Supreme Court effectively ended a legal challenge on Friday by clinics to the state’s law that banned most abortions in the state, ruling state officials and doctors do not have a role in the law’s enforcement.

The ruling follows a lawsuit against state officials by clinics opposed to Senate Bill 8, which bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. According to the law, private citizens may sue anyone who performs or assists a woman in receiving an abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected.