Louisiana trigger law banning abortions temporarily blocked by court
A Louisiana judge issued a temporary restraining order Monday against the state from enforcing its ban on abortions, leading to the immediate resumption of the procedure.
Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Robin Giarrusso granted the request of plaintiffs Hope Medical Group For Women and Medical Students for Choice.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade, which for nearly 50 years had granted women the constitutional right to an abortion.
More than a dozen states set so-called trigger laws which were written to take immediate effect, banning or severely limiting abortions, in the event Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Providers in Louisiana had stopped performing abortions on Friday, unsure of the legality of the practice due to the vagueness of the bill, according to reproductive rights groups.
“Louisiana’s court made the right call today to swiftly block this unjust ban from taking effect,” according to statement by Jenny Ma, senior staff attorney for the Center for Reproductive Rights, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the plaintiffs.
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“It is incredibly welcome news during a very dark time in our history. This means that Louisiana patients will still be able to access the essential health care they need — every second that abortion is accessible counts. While the fight is far from over, we will do everything in our power to preserve abortion access in Louisiana and across the country.”
Representatives for Gov. John Bel Edwards and Attorney General Jeff Landry could not be immediately reached for comment Monday.
In statement Friday, Edwards declared that he’s “unabashedly pro-life and opposed to abortion,” but is seeking changes to Louisiana’s trigger law — first put in place in 2006 — because it has no exceptions for rape and incest.
“As I have said many times before, I believe women who are survivors of rape or incest should be able determine whether to continue with a pregnancy that is the result of a criminal act,” Edwards said on Friday.
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