Republican judge orders New York doctor to pay fine, stop providing abortion pills in Texas

A Texas judge on Thursday ordered a New York physician to stop supplying abortion pills in Texas and pay a $100,000 fine for providing the medication to a Dallas-area woman, the Associated Press reports. The ruling likely sets up a larger court fight over “shield laws” Democrat-controlled states have enacted to protect abortion providers, according to multiple news organizations. More than half of U.S. abortions are carried out via medication, and patients in Texas and other states that have banned the procedure often use telemedicine to access the drugs from out-of-state doctors. Collin Country District Judge Bryan Gantt issued Thursday's ruling against abortion provider Dr. Margaret Carpenter after she failed to respond to a civil suit filed by Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton.