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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Taylor Bruck, the acting Ulster County Clerk, for refusing to enforce a $100,000 penalty against Dr. Margaret Daley Carpenter. The penalty stems from a Texas court ruling that found Carpenter liable for prescribing an abortion drug to a Texas patient, allegedly resulting in the death of an unborn child and health issues for the mother.
Bruck, however, has rejected Texas' attempts to enforce the judgment, citing New York's Shield Law. This law protects reproductive health providers from out-of-state legal actions if the care provided was legal in New York. According to Spectrum News, Bruck stated, "The law is very clear: It says that no government employee or agency shall comply with any out-of-state proceeding, civil or criminal."
Governor Kathy Hochul has supported Bruck's decision, criticizing Texas' efforts as an attempt to punish a doctor for providing safe and legal abortion care. She emphasized that New York will not be intimidated by out-of-state pressures. KXAN reports that Paxton's legal action is part of a broader conflict between Texas and New York over differing abortion laws.
The case could potentially lead to a lawsuit challenging New York's Shield Law, which might escalate to the U.S. Supreme Court. Such a development could have significant implications for similar laws across the country. As Times Union notes, the outcome of this legal battle could affect the balance between states that permit abortion and those that restrict it.