Arizona Federal Court Refuses to Block Restrictions on Medication Abortions
On Monday, a federal court in Arizona ruled that a new law and regulations may take effect April 1 to severely restrict access to medication abortion.
In April of 2012, Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law a measure that requires the state Department of Health Services to issue regulations restricting medication abortion in such a way that doctors will only be able to offer medication abortion with an inferior, outdated, and less effective protocol. The department issued those regulations in January of this year, and in March the Center for Reproductive Rights and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America filed a lawsuit in Arizona federal district court, on behalf of Planned Parenthood Arizona and the Tucson Women’s Center, requesting that the court block the law while a trial on its constitutionality proceeded. That request was denied.
“It is appalling that politicians are overriding doctors’ ability to provide the highest quality medical care for women in Arizona,” said Bryan Howard, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, in a statement following the decision. “In fact, they are dictating to physicians how to provide care, rather than allowing doctors to follow the best, most up-to-date practices. And, the court agreed that this is precisely what Arizona politicians are allowed to do. Lawmakers have the ability to make laws, even if they harm women,”
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