U.S. appeals court sets Jan 7 argument date in Texas abortion case

(Reuters) – A United States appeals court has set a Jan. 7 argument date in the Texas abortion case, where the panel will hear the state’s bid to push a legal question about enforcement to the state supreme court.

The challengers of Texas’ near total ban on abortion contend the move will delay a merits ruling in the U.S. district court.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court left in place a ban on most abortions in Texas but allowed a legal challenge to proceed, with the fate of the Republican-backed measure that allows private citizens to enforce it still hanging in the balance.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Reese)