A New Orleans judge on Friday ruled abortion providers must challenge the state's strict abortion ban in Baton Rouge, not New Orleans, siding with Attorney General Jeff Landry on a procedural issue in the closely watched case that will decide abortion access in the state, our media partners at The Advocate report.
The decision dissolved the ruling that blocked the law, bringing the state’s “trigger law” back into effect, which is expected to lead to the closure of the state’s three clinics, the newspaper reports.
The case was transferred to East Baton Rouge Parish, where it’s possible a judge will grant a similar order blocking enforcement of the law, which would allow the clinics to open temporarily again, the newspaper reports.
Here's reaction from Jenny Ma, senior staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights:
“Today’s ruling was on a technicality, and did not touch the merits of this case. I am personally devastated for patients in Louisiana who are now panicking trying to figure out how to get care. But to be clear, this case is by no means over. We’re just starting the legal battle to get the ban blocked again. Since Roe fell last month, abortion services have ceased in nine other states, and that number is continuing to grow. With every state that bans abortion, the distance patients in the south have to travel grows exponentially. So losing access in Louisiana, even for a day, is contributing to a growing health crisis not only for people in Louisiana but across the south," Ma said.
To read the rest of the Advocate's story about the hearing, click here.
