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After Signing of New Law, Some Texas Abortion Clinics Prepare to Shut Down

At least four abortion clinics in rural Texas and possibly three more are preparing to close, hobbled by a state law that requires the clinics to meet tougher medical standards.

At least four abortion clinics in rural Texas and possibly three more are preparing to close, hobbled by a state law that requires the clinics to meet tougher medical standards.


Administrators say a major reason for shuttering the clinics is that their doctors are having trouble getting admitting privileges at local hospitals — a new legal requirement that goes into effect at the end of next month.
 

The tally of potential closures is the clearest evidence yet of the effects of the bill the GOP-run Legislature passed amid a raucous debate and that Gov. Rick Perry signed into law.
 

Since the beginning of the year, two clinics have gone out of business, according to state records. If the seven others do so, the state will have lost almost 25 percent of the 37 licensed facilities that provide abortions.
 

Almost all are in smaller cities, and abortion rights supporters worry that women in rural areas will lose access to the procedure and face more hardships.

Caroline Cournoyer is GOVERNING's senior web editor.
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