The Texas Third District Court of Appeals in Austin ruled Jan. 16 that three Planned Parenthood affiliates, along with other pro-choice groups, could continue their lawsuit against Texas Right to Life. Planned Parenthood, which provides sexual and reproductive health care, sued Texas Right to Life, a pro-life lobbying organization, in 2021 over the Texas Heartbeat Act. Advertisement“(The Texas Heartbeat Act) was a deliberate attempt to see how much harm Texas anti-abortion politicians could get away with while hiding behind private lawsuits,” wrote Shellie Hayes-McMahon, executive director of Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, in a statement. John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life, wrote in a statement that the appellate court’s decision was a “bad ruling,” and Texas Right to Life will appeal it. “Laws like (the Heartbeat Act) don’t protect pregnant people or families,” Hayes-McMahon wrote.