Ulster County Clerk Sued by Texas AG Over Abortion Ruling, Cites Shield Law

A legal clash between Texas and New York over reproductive rights is now centered in Ulster County, where Acting County Clerk Taylor Bruck is being sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The dispute stems from Bruck’s refusal to file a Texas court judgment against a New York physician who prescribed abortion medication via telehealth to a Texas resident — an act legal in New York but not in Texas.

Bruck said the nature of the filing immediately stood out. “They referenced Dr. Carpenter and that… she was accused of providing abortion medication to Texas,” Bruck told Radio Catskill. “It really flagged that this was a unique circumstance… not our typical run-of-the-mill paperwork.”

Citing New York’s Shield Law, enacted in 2023 following the Dobbs decision, Bruck rejected the filing. The law protects healthcare providers who offer legal reproductive services in New York from legal actions initiated by other states.

“There is no precedent set for whether or not this Shield Law applies… for a clerk necessarily,” Bruck said. “We had a choice to make — potentially break the Shield Law and be sued by our constituent here, or reject the filing and almost certainly be sued by Texas.”

Paxton did sue. Bruck says Ulster County was served just this week. “We have good attorneys here at the county… I believe we have the law on our side.”

He added that most responses have been positive: “We receive letters here in the office almost every day from all around the country supporting what we did.”

Still, Bruck expressed concern over inflammatory rhetoric from Texas officials. “As a new father… that kind of language is very offensive to me. We should be able to have a civil discussion.”

Bruck says the case could ultimately shape how states enforce conflicting laws in a post-Roe America.

Image: Acting Ulster County Clerk Taylor Bruck speaks at a public event. The photo was originally shared on his campaign Facebook page, Bruck for Clerk. (Photo credit: Facebook.com/BruckForClerk)