A legal team from Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office today urged the U.S. District Court in Austin to dismiss a baseless lawsuit brought by radical pro-abortion activists seeking to strike down virtually all abortion-related laws and regulations in Texas.

“It’s outrageous that these activists are so dedicated to their radical pro-abortion agenda that they want the courts to repeal laws enacted by the Texas Legislature to protect the health of women getting abortions, such as requiring the sterilization of medical instruments,” Attorney General Paxton said. “Many of Texas’ common-sense abortion regulations have been in place for decades, are similar to laws passed in a majority of the states, and have been upheld as constitutional by the courts.”

During oral arguments at today’s district court hearing, Attorney General Paxton’s office pointed out that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld requirements like those targeted in the lawsuit against Texas, affirming multiple times that the state has an interest in safeguarding women’s health and protecting unborn life.

Texas’ abortion-related laws include many common-sense rules, such as requiring that abortion clinics are licensed, surgical instruments must be sterilized, and more complicated and dangerous late-term surgical abortions must be performed in surgical centers rather than in a doctor’s office. Texas is not alone in protecting the health and safety of women:

–40 states limit abortions to being performed only by a physician;

–44 states have parental involvement requirements; and

–29 states have laws requiring physicians to provide certain information to patients considering an abortion.

“My office’s solid legal arguments demonstrated that the lawsuit is attempting to use the judicial system to repeal laws that the state’s elected representatives passed to make sure women who have abortions do so with all the information they need and under conditions that are as medically safe as possible,” Attorney General Paxton said. “I’m hopeful the district court will agree with us and dismiss this baseless lawsuit.”