Governor Abbott was asked twice during his Friday press conference if the ban still included abortion. He first said it was up to the courts, then when he was asked again he said abortion was not part of his order. It wasn't a part of the Governor's original elective surgery ban either. That came about after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ruled that the original order included various types of abortion as well.
Abortion rights groups see the relaxed surgery ban as permission to reopen the clinics. Nancy Northup, the CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights made their case. "Under that new order it will be the case that abortion care can go forward because it falls into the new exception that exempt services provided by health facilities that certify that they will not draw on any public supply of PPE. And that is true for the abortion providers in Texas."
As of Wednesday, the Attorney General had not taken any action against any abortion clinics.
