Texas’ attorney general ordered abortion providers to stop performing the procedure as part of the state’s temporary suspension of surgeries that are not “medically necessary,” CBS News reports. In a statement, the attorney general’s office said that “any type of abortion that is not medically necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother” must be suspended, otherwise violators would face a fine up to $1,000 or 180 days of jail time. “No one is exempt from the governor’s executive order on medically unnecessary surgeries and procedures, including abortion providers,” Attorney General Ken Paxton said, referring to Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to “expand hospital bed capacity” amid the pandemic. “Those who violate the governor’s order will be met with the full force of the law,” he said. It was reportedly unclear if abortion providers in Texas would comply with the order. This comes after Ohio’s abortion providers were issued similar guidance from the state’s attorney general.
