Mississippi's only abortion clinic will remain open after a federal appeals court refused to reconsider stopping a 2012 abortion law from taking effect.
The 2012 law required doctors who perform abortions in Mississippi to obtain admitting privileges at local hospitals. The Clinic sued to stop the mandate from going into effect, and a U.S. District Court Judge placed an injunction on the law. A decision that was upheld by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Julie Rikelman is with the Center for Reproductive Rights, one of the organizations that asked federal judges to block the law from going into effect.
"It's really great news because the clinic can continue to stay open and it can continue to provide safe and legal abortion services to women in Mississippi." says Rikelman. "At this point the case should go back to the trial court for the court to figure out whether or not to block the law permanently."
Republican Representative Sam Mims of McComb introduced the bill in 2012.
"I'm very disappointed in the ruling." Mims says. "We've always felt this was constitutional and we always felt like this was a law that was passed with bipartisan support that had the intentions to improve healthcare for women."
In a statement, Governor Phil Bryant says he hopes the Attorney General will appeal the injunction to the U.S. Supreme Court. If state officials choose not to appeal, then the case will be sent back to U.S. District Court in Jackson to decide whether the law itself is constitutional.
