Dive Brief:
- The Supreme Court has decided to temporarily block a Louisiana law that would reduce the state's abortion clinics to one. The order, the court said, was "consistent with" one in June that partially blocked a Texas abortion law. Justice Clarence Thomas was the only dissenting vote.
- The Louisiana law states doctors performing abortions must have admitting rights at nearby hospitals. A trial judge blocked the law, citing it caused an undue burden on women's constitutional right to abortion. However, a federal appeals court stayed the ruling on Feb. 22 and the law went into effect.
- According to the challengers, the appeals court decision resulted in one of the state's four remaining clinics to close, and another to only provide consultations. A third clinic may close soon, which only leaves one doctor at one clinic in New Orleans.
Dive Insight:
Clinics challenging the law filed an emergency appeal on Feb. 26 and wrote one doctor, "cannot meet the need for approximately 100,000 abortions in Louisiana each year." However, state officials denied conditions were urgent and said three physicians have admitting privileges to provide abortions in Shreveport and New Orleans.
The Louisiana admitting-privileges provision is similar to one in the Texas law the Supreme Court reviewed last week. However, another provision of the Texas law requires abortion clinics to meet ambulatory surgical centers' standards. According to The New York Times, four justices "seemed prepared to find both provisions unconstitutional" during arguments. If the vote is a tie, the state law would remain, reported the Los Angeles Times. But if there is a majority rule, a decision will most likely be handed down in June.
There are seven additional states that have similar provisions requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. Mississippi and Wisconsin's rules were blocked by the courts.