On June 27 the US Supreme Court, in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, not only struck down key provisions of a 2013 Texas law restricting abortion, but also set a standard by which similar legislation can be measured.

The 5-to-3 ruling swept aside the requirement that clinics providing abortion must be ambulatory surgical centers, staffed by doctors with admitting privileges at a hospital within thirty miles.

The Texas legislature maintained that these restrictions were necessary for women’s health and safety, but the Supreme Court wasn’t buying it.