AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ A new law aimed at reducing the number of abortions in Texas is set to go into effect this fall, even though some of the toughest provisions of the measure will likely be tied up in litigation for months.
The state is appealing a judge’s ruling Tuesday that it’s unconstitutional to require doctors to display an ultrasound image of the fetus or embryo, make the heartbeat audible and describe its organs and size to a woman before performing an abortion.
While the issue is tangled up in court, women still must undergo a sonogram a day before an abortion. The appeal could take a year.
Republican Gov. Rick Perry signed the law in May, saying it would save countless lives. About 81,000 abortions are performed every year in Texas.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)