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Page Number: 21

16 

JUNE MEDICAL SERVICES L. L. C. v. RUSSO 

Opinion of BREYER, J. 

quotation marks omitted). 

In  short,  the  State’s  strategic  waiver  and  a  long  line  of 
well-established precedents foreclose its belated challenge
to the plaintiffs’ standing.  We consequently proceed to con-
sider the merits of the plaintiffs’ claims. 

III 
A 
Turning to the merits, we apply the constitutional stand-
ards set forth in our earlier abortion-related cases, and in 
particular in Casey and Whole Woman’s Health.  At the risk 
of repetition, we remind the reader of the standards we de-
scribed above.  In Whole Woman’s Health, we quoted Casey
in  explaining  that  “ ‘a  statute  which,  while  furthering  [a] 
valid  state  interest  has  the  effect  of  placing  a  substantial
obstacle in the path of a woman’s choice cannot be consid-
ered  a  permissible  means  of  serving  its  legitimate  ends.’ ”
579 U. S., at ___ (slip op., at 19) (quoting Casey, 505 U. S., 
at 877 (plurality opinion)).  We added that “ ‘[u]nnecessary
health  regulations’ ”  impose  an  unconstitutional  “ ‘undue 
burden’ ” if they have “ ‘the purpose or effect of presenting a 
substantial obstacle to a woman seeking an abortion.’ ”  579 
U. S.,  at  ___  (slip  op.,  at  19)  (quoting  Casey,  505  U. S.,  at 
878; emphasis added).

We went on to explain that, in applying these standards,
courts must “consider the burdens a law imposes on abor-
tion  access  together  with  the  benefits  those  laws  confer.”
579  U. S.,  at  ___  –  ___ (slip  op.,  at  19–20).   We  cautioned 
that  courts  “must  review  legislative  ‘factfinding  under  a
deferential standard.’ ”  Id., at ___ (slip op., at 20) (quoting 
Gonzales, 550 U. S., at 165).  But they “must not ‘place dis-
positive weight’ on those ‘findings,’ ” for the courts “ ‘retai[n] 
an independent constitutional duty to review factual find-
ings where constitutional rights are at stake.’ ”  579 U. S., 
at ___ (slip op., at 20) (quoting Gonzales, 550 U. S., at 165; 
emphasis deleted).