Appeals Court Strikes Down Law, Saves Mississippi’s Only Abortion Clinic

Pro-choice demonstrators rally outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014. Thousands of abortion opponents are facing wind chills in the single digits to rally and march on Capitol Hill to prot... Pro-choice demonstrators rally outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014. Thousands of abortion opponents are facing wind chills in the single digits to rally and march on Capitol Hill to protest legalized abortion, with a signal of support from Pope Francis. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) MORE LESS
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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A federal appeals court panel has ruled that a Mississippi law that would close the state’s only abortion clinic is unconstitutional.

The three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued its ruling Tuesday in a case involving the state’s 2012 law, which required physicians at the clinic to obtain admitting privileges at a local hospital.

Physicians at Jackson Women’s Health Organization applied for the privileges at Jackson-area hospitals but were unable to obtain them.

Attorneys for Mississippi argued that if the clinic closed, women could get abortions in other states.

The appeals court panel ruled that a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1973 established a constitutional right toabortion. The panel ruled that Mississippi may not shift its obligation for established constitutional rights of its citizens to another state.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  1. I wonder if the citizens of MS will re-elect this bozo of a governor. I loved it when he blamed Obama for the uninsured in his state.

    Does anyone in MS care enough about this travesty to do something about it?

  2. They’ll just find some other way to deny women healthcare.

  3. Whew. I’m thinking maybe all the Miss. women who woke up just barely in time to vote down that personhood amendment they tried to ram through last year may be saying a quiet thanks to the judges right about now…

  4. The panel ruled that Mississippi may not shift its obligation for
    established constitutional rights of its citizens to another state.

    I’m glad they decided the law was unconstitutional, but the reasoning they used seems mighty thin gruel to me.

  5. Avatar for paulw paulw says:

    It’s a sort of bright line rule. Think of all the other things a state like mississippi would gladly shove into its neighbors: welfare, health care, education…

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