Mississippi judge blocks law that would shut down only abortion clinic in the state

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As you may have heard recently, legislators in Mississippi were successful in passing a TRAP law designed to put the only abortion clinic in the state out of business, making it the first state in the union to have no access to legal and safe abortion care. The good news is that yesterday, the day it was to go into effect, a federal judge temporarily blocked the law from being enforced. 

Jackson Women’s Health Organization and the Center for Reproductive Rights filed the suit, arguing that the legislation was created for the sole purpose of  shutting down the state’s only abortion clinic and was completely medically unnecessary. U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan in Jackson ordered a temporary restraining order, stating:

‘‘Though the debate over abortion continues, there exists legal precedent the court must follow…Plaintiffs have offered evidence — including quotes from significant legislative and executive officers — that the Act’s purpose is to eliminate abortions in Mississippi. They likewise submitted evidence that no safety or health concerns motivated its passage. This evidence has not yet been rebutted.’’

While legislators are now contesting that the bill was meant to merely “protect” the health of women getting an abortion in Mississippi, it couldn’t be farther from the truth — even when Governor Phil Bryant signed the law, he said the reason being was because he wanted Mississippi to be ‘‘abortion-free.’’ Mississippi State Rep. Bubba Carpenter acknowledged in his bragfest about the law that women may turn to coathanger abortions, adding, ”But hey, you have to have moral values.” Which is why TRAP laws are so incredibly unjust and deceitful; their language is designed under the guise of protecting the health of patients, but very blatantly put patient’s health at risk.

We’ll keep you posted on what happens; there’s no doubt this is not the end of  HB 1390.

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