BREAKING: Lift Louisiana Supports Legal Challenge to Stop Abortion Restrictions

Today, a new lawsuit was filed in state court against the Louisiana Department of Health challenging agency regulations on abortion providers pushed through under the Jindal administration in 2015.  These regulations are burdensome, medically unnecessary, and if fully enforced, could threaten to close the remaining three clinics in the state.

The impact of these regulations on Louisiana's women was well documented in three thousand public comments submitted to the Department of Health, including concerns that there was no medical evidence in support of the new regulations and that existing law protected patient health and safety.

However, Department of Health officials hastily approved these regulations, despite thousands of public comments expressing concerns, and despite the fact that agencies are without the power to usher in such sweeping changes to the law. We cannot allow the agencies to ignore the public’s concerns and disregard the process.

The unelected officials at these state agencies cannot ignore the law and change the rules on medical providers, without the authority to do so.  This is government overreach at its worst.

Our democracy doesn't allow the government to operate unchecked in this way and offers another remedy. Because the state refused to consider the public's input and finalized the regulations without authority, and without responding to the public, the only remedy is to challenge the state in court. Lift Louisiana is committed to ensuring all women in our state have safe access to abortion care because we believe, and the Courts have determined, a woman’s ability to make her own decisions about her health and family are central to her dignity, autonomy and liberty.

We are supporting this lawsuit to protect the women in our state that deserve safe access to abortion care. We believe that the government must be held accountable when it interferes with a woman’s access to the health care she needs. 

Lift Louisiana is determined to provide the financial resources needed to see this lawsuit through. Donate today to support the courageous lawyers who are defending the rights of Louisiana’s women to make our own decisions.