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Article text courtesy of nytimes.com. 

Confusion in Texas as ‘Unprecedented’ Abortion Law Takes Effect

HOUSTON — When the Supreme Court decided this week that Texas could carry out and enforce the nation’s most restrictive anti-abortion law, even some staunch abortion opponents were surprised.

The ruling suddenly forced them, as well as abortion providers, to confront a legal situation that has little precedent but an immediate impact on women across the state.

The law essentially bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy and, uniquely, allows private citizens to bring suit against abortionproviders. On Thursday, anti-abortion groups were on the hunt for viable lawsuits even as other conservative states considered emulating the Texas legislation.

“You can only dream of these kinds of things,” said Melanie Salazar, who headed a student anti-abortion group at the University of Texas at San Antonio. “To be young, to be an activist, this is definitely a celebratory time.

Abortion rights groups and providers steeled themselves for potential legal fights, vowing to comply with the law even as they fought for it to be thrown out.