that some liberal state could do this on an issue like guns. exactly, joe. so texas has thumbed its nose or maybe raised another body part at the u.s. supreme court. and for our entire lifetimes, basically, or most of our lifetimes since 1973, roe v. wade has been the law of the land. it was a 7-2 decision at a time when there were i think seven republicans on the republican-nominated justices on the supreme court. what texas did is say well, we re going to allow bounty hunters or vigilantes to sue anyone who helps a woman get an abortion. if you can do that for abortion, you you re right, the liberal state can do it for guns or for anything else. and basically end run around the supreme court of the united states. that s what the case today is about. and to be sure, two months ago the supreme court as we were talking about earlier on a procedural motion said, well, let the texas law take effect.
months ago to the day and the supreme court said let the texas law take effect. here they said we ll let the main law take effect, but these are not what are called decisions on the merit. supreme court hasn t totally blessed it. that s something they decide later after the case is fully ventilated and briefed. well, to the case you just mentioned, the u.s. supreme court. today is expected to take up two challenges to the most restrictive abortion regulation in the country. the texas law that has virtually ended abortions in the state. nbc news justice correspondent pete williams has the latest. the court is considering what s to become of two lawsuits challenging sb-8, the texas law that stopped nearly all abortions in the state. the law says they can t be performed after six weeks of pregnancy before most women know they re pregnant. it is meant to intimidate, to threaten, to make us afraid of providing the abortion care that