Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Apr 25, 2024

Louisiana judge temporarily blocks ‘trigger’ abortion ban

Louisiana judge temporarily blocks ‘trigger’ abortion ban

Louisiana is one of 13 US states where ‘trigger laws’ ban or severely restrict abortion after Roe v Wade overturned.

A Louisiana judge has temporarily blocked the southern US state from enforcing laws banning abortion that were set to take effect after the United States Supreme Court overturned its landmark Roe v Wade abortion decision last week.

Louisiana is one of 13 states with “trigger laws” designed to ban or severely restrict abortions once Roe, which recognised a right to the procedure nationwide, was overturned.

On Monday, Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Robin Giarrusso issued a temporary restraining order blocking Louisiana from carrying out its ban shortly after Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport, one of Louisiana’s three abortion clinics, sued.

“Abortion care is resuming in Louisiana,” the Center for Reproductive Rights, which filed the lawsuit on the clinic’s behalf, said after Giarrusso’s order. The judge set a July 8 hearing to decide whether to further block enforcement of the ban.

In filings in a state court, Hope Medical Group for Women said it was not disputing the state’s ability to restrict abortion after Friday’s Supreme Court decision.

It argued that Louisiana was not free to do so in a manner that violated its due process rights and that the state’s trigger bans “lack constitutionally required safeguards to prevent arbitrary enforcement”.

“Seeking reproductive care is already difficult in the US, and especially in Louisiana. Now, as state governments are trying to ban abortion throughout the country, including in Louisiana, my heart is with our patients whose entire lives and future may change based on the next few days,” said Kathaleen Pittman, administrator at Hope Medical Group for Women.

“We are committed to this monumental legal challenge – not to perpetuate an endless political battle, but to ensure our patients’ wellbeing and so that they may draw strength from our dedication to this fight,” she said in a statement.


The fall of Roe v Wade has shifted the battleground over abortion to courthouses around the country, as anti-abortion groups looked to quickly enact statewide bans and reproductive rights advocates sought to buy more time.

On Monday, abortion rights advocates asked a Florida judge to block a new state law that bans abortions after 15 weeks and is set to take effect this week. “This attempt to stop people from accessing essential care is blatantly unconstitutional under Florida’s state constitution,” the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said on Twitter.

The ACLU of Arizona and an abortion-rights group filed an emergency motion on Saturday seeking to block a 2021 law that they worry can be used to halt all abortions. The Planned Parenthood Association of Utah has already challenged a trigger law with narrow exceptions.

Other cases also could be filed as states try to sort out whether abortion bans in place before Roe was decided — sometimes referred to as “zombie laws” — apply now that there is no federal protection for abortion.

For instance, Wisconsin passed a law in 1849 banning abortions except to save the life of the mother. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, said he does not believe it is enforceable. The group Pro-Life Wisconsin and other abortion opponents have called on lawmakers to impose a new ban.




In the meantime, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin said it immediately suspended all abortions, though the district attorneys in the counties that include Madison and Milwaukee have both suggested that they would not enforce the ban.

Back in Louisiana, the state’s Republican attorney general, Jeff Landry, did not respond to requests for comment from the Reuters news agency.

Landry took to Twitter on Friday to say bans with “trigger” provisions passed in anticipation of the Supreme Court’s ruling were immediately in effect. The only three clinics providing abortions in the state closed that day.

“My office and I will do everything in our power to ensure the laws of Louisiana that have been passed to protect the unborn are enforceable, even if we have to go back to court,” he tweeted.

Days before Roe was overturned, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, an anti-abortion Democrat, signed a measure into law that supporters said would clarify and eliminate any conflicts in anti-abortion laws already in state statutes.

The sweeping bill includes prison terms of up to 10 years for any doctor who performs an abortion.

But Hope Medical Group for Women argued the state’s laws make it impossible to tell when they are in effect, if one or all of them collectively are in force, and what exact conduct is prohibited, such as if exceptions exist to save a pregnant woman’s life.

That vagueness has resulted in state and local officials issuing conflicting statements about whether the trigger bans are in effect, the lawsuit in Orleans Civil District Court contended.

“People who need an abortion right now are in a state of panic,” Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement before the judge’s temporarily restraining order was issued.

“We will be fighting to restore access in Louisiana and other states for as long as we can. Every day that a clinic is open and providing abortion services can make a difference in a person’s life.”



Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Reports in Gaza: 5 dead from the impact of aid packages dropped by the USA
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
China Criticizes US for Vetoing UN Ceasefire Resolution in Gaza
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
The U.S. vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, instead proposing its own six-week ceasefire plan contingent upon the release of all hostages held by Hamas
Prince William Urges End to Gaza Conflict
Saudi Arabia ranks first in UN index for e-government services in MENA
Israel has gone ‘beyond self-defence’ in Gaza, says Labour’s Streeting
EU Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza Conflict
Israel Records 20% Drop In GDP, War In Gaza Is The Reason
Saudi Arabia's FDI Inflows Grow with New International Standards
Venture Capitals Power Up Across MENA Region
Saudi Arabia Introduces Terms for 30-Year Income Tax Exemption for Multinational Companies
Saudi FM: Establishing Palestinian state is only pathway for Mideast stability
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
Elon Musk's Starlink Gets License For Israel, Parts Of Gaza
Influencers Exploit X Platform for Profit Amidst Israel-Gaza Conflict
PM Modi Announces Opening Of New CBSE Office In Dubai
International Criminal Court's Chief "Deeply Concerned" By Rafah Bombing
January Funding for MENA Startups Totals $86.5 Million
Saudi Arabia accelerates digital economy growth through Nvidia partnership
Indian female military officers commend Saudi Arabia's progress and women's empowerment
Israel unveils tunnels underneath Gaza City headquarters of UN agency for Palestinian refugees
Israel deploys new military AI in Gaza war
Egypt threatens to suspend key peace treaty if Israel pushes into Gaza border town, officials say
Israel Utilizes AI Military Technology in Gaza Conflict
Saudi Arabia Warns Of A "Humanitarian Catastrophe" If Israel Moves On Rafah
China Warns Iran to Halt Houthi Attacks or Damage Trade Ties
US University To Shut Qatar Campus Due To "Heightened Mideast Instability"
Iran-backed hackers interrupt UAE TV streaming services with deepfake news
Facebook and Instagram Ban Iran's Supreme Leader
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken: The Israelis underwent dehumanization on 7.10, this does not give them the right to do this to others.
Defense Technology Showcase Held in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rise 2.5% to $6bn in November 2023: GASTAT
UK Bans Misleading "Zero Emissions" Claims for Electric Cars
Gaza's Teen Inventor Sparks Light in Displacement
Netanyahu Rejects Ceasefire Proposal, Insists On Total Victory Over Hamas
Guterres appoints independent UNRWA review panel
Private Sector Employment Hits Record High with Over 11 Million Employees in January
Rolls-Royce Executive Encourages Saudi Women to Tap into Their Inner 'Superhero' for Success in Defense Industry
Saudi Arabia launches National Academy of Vehicles and Cars
Saudi Tourism Minister Reveals Plan for 250,000 New Hotel Rooms by 2030
SAR to more than double eastern network passenger capacity with new trains deal
Saudi Arabia Enhances National Defense with New Partnerships
Saudi Aramco Maintains Arab Light Crude Pricing to Asia for March
NEOM Establishes New York Office to Support Investors
Saudi Wealth Fund Draws in Over $25 Billion Worth of Investments in Three Years, Al-Rumayyan Reveals
ZATCA Cautions Against Scammer Schemes
INTRA Defense Technologies inaugurates drone factory in Riyadh
×