Supreme Court temporarily stops Louisiana from enforcing law requiring abortionists to have admitting privileges

In a brief order, the Supreme Court Friday temporarily stopped Louisiana from enforcing its law that requires abortionists to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles. The unsigned order came two days after the justices heard oral arguments in a case from Texas that raised that issue (Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt) and another that required abortion clinics to meet the standards of ambulatory surgical centers.

In early February U.S. District Judge John deGravelles found that the admitting privileges requirement would place an “undue burden” on Louisiana women seeking an abortion. He issued a preliminary injunction preventing the law from being enforced against the clinics involved in the challenge: Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport, Bossier City Medical Suite in Bossier City, and Causeway Medical Clinic in Metairie [.

However, on February 24, an unanimous three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the judge’s order. According to Louisiana Right to Life, the panel accepted all of the state’s arguments–that the district court did not follow 5th Circuit precedent; ignored the state’s unrebutted evidence that more than 90 percent of Louisiana women would still be within 150 miles of a provider; and ignored the secretary’s determination that “Dr. Doe 2’s” privileges at Tulane were sufficient.

It was this ruling that the High Court temporarily blocked.

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