BREAKING: Supreme Court Takes Another Look at Abortion Clinic Shutdown Law

Today, the United States Supreme Court decided to listen to arguments on a Louisiana law that requires physicians performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a local hospital. The Court stepped in to temporarily block the law from taking effect earlier this year.

The Supreme Court ruled just three years ago that an identical law in Texas is unconstitutional based on evidence that the law was medically unnecessary and makes it harder to access abortion care. The trial court in Louisiana blocked the law finding that abortion was safe and admitting privileges have virtually no health or safety benefits for patients. In late 2018, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Louisiana’s law in defiance of the Supreme Court in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. The Supreme Court stepped in to temporarily block the law from taking effect earlier this year.

“This is a straightforward decision for the Supreme Court,” stated Ellie Schilling, Board President for Lift Louisiana. “The facts call for the Supreme Court to apply its precedent in Whole Woman’ Health. This is the same law and it calls for the same decision.”

Louisiana has mounted a multi-year legislative assault against safe and legal abortion, and over that time, eight of the eleven clinics in the state have already closed. Earlier this year, the state passed a ban on abortions as early as six weeks.

Louisiana is openly defying the Court’s 2016 ruling that states can’t use sham medical regulations to shut down clinics,” stated Michelle Erenberg, Executive Director of Lift Louisiana. “We are hopeful that the Court will uphold the rule of law, protect our constitutional rights, and be independent of partisan politics. The people of Louisiana shouldn’t be denied their rights because of where they live.”

Laws like this are steadily eroding abortion access across the country. Since 2011, more than 470 abortion restrictions have been enacted by state legislatures, with Louisiana being one of the worst offenders.