PHOENIX (AP) — A federal appeals court panel is keeping the country’s most stringent regulations on the use of abortion medication on hold while a case against them plays out in court.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the Arizona rules last week. Attorney General Tom Horne asked the appeals court to let them take effect, saying Planned Parenthood Arizona did not have enough evidence to show they were detrimental.
The three-judge panel said in a ruling Tuesday that patients will likely suffer irreparable harm if the rules take effect, because they will immediately lose access to a common abortion procedure.
The rules heavily restrict the use of the most common abortion medications. Opponents they infringe on woman’s right to abortion, while proponents say they protect women’s health.
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