Precedents: Will Texas SB-8 change the way we enforce laws?

On Sept 1, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States refused to block Texas’s new abortion law, Senate Bill 8. While this action has re-awakened the pro-life and pro-choice debate, many people are equally concerned about the way the law was written. It shifts the responsibility for identifying and prosecuting individuals involved in abortions from government agencies into the hands of private citizens, encouraging them to file civil suits against others, and letting them collect a monetary award if successful.

This bill may set a precedent for laws related to many more issues than just abortion. Some are concerned that states will be able to skirt Federal Supreme Court decisions and reduce many rights, such as gay marriage, gun ownership, or religious freedoms.

At this meeting, we will explore what the future might look like 5 years from now if the lower courts do not block this law and SCOTUS rules in favor of it. What would the benefits be? At what cost?

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