Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, along with a coalition of other Attorneys General, is urging Congress to take action against what they call “radical pro-abortion policies.” The group is focusing on “shield laws,” which are statutes in some states designed to protect abortion providers from legal consequences tied to anti-abortion laws in states like Texas. The Office of the Texas Attorney General said these laws undermine state sovereignty and conflict with parts of the U.S. Constitution.
The controversy follows last year’s Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade. In a statement released by the Office of the Texas Attorney General, Paxton said, “These shield laws are a direct attack on the rule of law and a grave threat to our constitutional order.” He added that the laws prevent Texas from enforcing its own policies and affect states that aim to restrict abortion.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is calling for Congressional action while involved in a legal dispute with a New York County Clerk who refused to enforce a court judgment against an abortion provider accused of mailing abortion-inducing drugs into Texas. Paxton has filed a legal petition against the clerk, describing the case as part of a larger effort to address abortion policies following the Dobbs decision. “I strongly support Congress exercising that authority and putting an end to these radical anti-life policies,” Paxton said, according to the Office of the Texas Attorney General.
