The Supreme Court began hearing arguments on Wednesday in a key case that could change the power states have in regulating abortion clinics.
The case, Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, a challenge to controversial abortion regulations passed in Texas in 2013. The court has been tasked with deciding whether a Texas law that regulates abortion clinics actually infringes on a woman’s constitutional right to obtain an abortion in the state.
The case has polarized the ongoing national debate between anti-abortion activists and pro-choice advocates who gathered in front of the Supreme Court
A decision in the plaintiff's favor would restore abortion access in Texas and stem a flood of similar bills in states around the country.
Hundreds of dueling protesters lined up outside the Supreme Court early Monday. On one side, women held signs reading "No Uterus, No Opinion" and "The Burden is Undue."
One woman even dressed as her interpretation of a life sized uterus to show her support for access to abortion clinics in Texas.
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Another held a uterus puppet overhead.
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Anti-abortion activists gathered nearby, holding signs that read, "Protect women, protect life."
Journalists at the scene noted that the pro-life movement had drawn much smaller crowds to the front of the Supreme Court.
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The Whole Woman's Health clinics want the court to roll back regulations requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and forcing clinics to meet standards for outpatient or ambulatory surgical centers. Like other states, mainly in the South, Texas says it passed the measure to protect women's health. However, there is no evidence that these laws would improve health outcomes for women and conservative lawmakers have publicly celebrated the fact that clinics would close once they took effect.
Presidential contenders have begun weighing in on either side of the debate. Democrat Bernie Sanders was the first to make a statement Wednesday and called on the court to vote in favor of the Whole Woman's Health Clinic.
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The abortion debate comes at a critical time, in the middle of a polarizing presidential campaign and just weeks after conservative Justice Antonin Scalia’s unexpected death.
The fact that only eight justices remain on the court means that the decision could split the justices down the middle. If that is the case, the justices could also decide to rehear the case once a new justice is appointed.
That could be months away, though, as Senate Republicans say they will not approve any nominee President Obama puts forward. They say the nomination should be made by whoever is elected in November, a move that could change the outcome of this particular case.
Additional information from the Associated Press.
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