The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against an abortion law passed in Louisiana requiring admitting privileges at a nearby hospital for abortion doctors. Monroe Senator Katrina Jackson authored the 2014 legislation and says the nation’s highest court struck down a law that would have protected the health of a pregnant woman
“They ruled against women’s health care, they ruled against qualified physicians being required and with that I’m deeply saddened,” said Jackson.
If the measure became law, it would have shut down two of the state’s three remaining abortion clinics. Associate Director for the Louisiana Right to Life Angie Thomas says Louisiana law requires admitting privileges for many doctors who perform outpatient surgeries, but not abortion providers.
“We are extremely disappointed that the Supreme Court has continued its abortion distortion that laws can apply to everyone, except for the abortion industry,” said Thomas.
The decision was 5-4 against Louisiana’s law. The Supreme Court also struck down a similar law out of Texas in 2016. The Center for Reproductive Rights filed suit preventing Louisiana’s law from going into effect. CPR CEO Nancy Northup is delighted with the ruling.
“It vindicates what we’ve said all along, which is that this is the identical law that was found unconstitutional against Texas,” said Northup.
The Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport and the Baton Rouge Delta Clinic would have closed if Louisiana’s admitting privileges law went into effect. Director of the Hope Medical Group Kathaleen Pittman says the closing of additional clinics would have been a hardship for low-income pregnant women.
“These are women who can’t take a few days off from a job that pays minimum wage, because they are just one pay check from total despair,” said Pittman.
Pittman still remains concerned for the future of the abortion providers, because she knows lawmakers will continue to look for ways to restrict access to abortions.
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