Justices let Republican argue abortion case

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron can continue to fight to protect babies in his state from dismemberment abortion, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday. After the law passed in 2018, Kentucky’s only abortion facility sued. When Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration took office, it stopped defending the case in court. But in 2019, Cameron, a Republican, stepped in to argue the case. A lower court ruled that he wasn’t allowed to intervene so late in the process, but the Supreme Court disagreed.

What happens next? The 8-1 Supreme Court ruling means Cameron can ask the appeals court to rehear the case. If it says no, he may end up back before the justices—this time arguing the merits of the law, rather than his right to defend it. Dismemberment is the most common method of second-trimester abortions.

Dig deeper: Read Leah Savas’ report in Vitals explaining the background of the case.