A Texas law that bans most abortions took effect on Sept. 1 after the Supreme Court did not respond to an emergency motion that asked it to block the law. Senate Bill 8 bars doctors from performing abortions unless he or she has tried detecting a fetal heartbeat. Only if a heartbeat is not detected can the doctor perform an abortion, unless a medical emergency exists. The legislation explicitly forbids state officials from enforcing it. Instead, private citizens—except for an individual who impregnated a woman through rape or incest—may file lawsuits against doctors, clinics, and anyone involved in an abortion that violates the law. If someone who brings a lawsuit prevails, they will be awarded at least $10,000 for each abortion that the defendant performed or helped with. State Sen. Bryan Hughes, a Republican who sponsored the bill, has called it “the most powerful pro-life legislation in Texas history” and has …