By Rich Phillips, CNN
Jackson, Mississippi (CNN) — A federal judge in Mississippi on Wednesday ordered an extension of his temporary order to allow the state’s only abortion clinic to stay open.
The order will be in place until U.S. District Judge Daniel Jordan can review newly drafted rules on how the Mississippi Department of Health will administer a new abortion law.
He then plans to rule on whether the temporary order will become permanent, or whether the clinic must shut its doors.
The law took effect July 1 and requires all abortion providers in Mississippi to be certified obstetrician/gynecologists with privileges at local hospitals. Doctors at Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the only abortion provider in the state, come in from other states, and only one of its doctors is authorized to practice at a nearby hospital.
Clinc owner Diane Derzis says the issue is about politics, not protecting women.
Decision on abortion clinic fate delayed Abortion clinic fights to stay open Planned Parenthood rep talks Miss. law
Supporters of the new law say it is intended to protect women from unscrupulous practitioners, but others say it’s part of a move to outlaw abortions in the state. Even Republican Gov. Phil Bryant called it “the first step in a movement, I believe, to do what we campaigned on: to say that we’re going to try to end abortion in Mississippi.”
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- Federal Judge Extends Injunction Against Mississippi Abortion Regs, Allowing Sole Clinic To Remain Open Pending Further Review (lawprofessors.typepad.com)
- Judge continues to block Miss. anti-abortion law (foxnews.com)
- Judge continues to block Miss. law that might close abortion clinic (wwltv.com)
- Update: Temporary Stay Extended for Abortion Clinic (wtok.com)
- Federal judge to determine fate of Mississippi’s last abortion clinic (cnn.com)
- Mississippi’s only abortion clinic will stay open as judge blocks state law (guardian.co.uk)
- ‘Abortion Queen’ in Last-Ditch Battle to Save Mississippi Clinic (bloomberg.com)
- Mississippi’s only abortion clinic to learn fate – BBC News (bbc.co.uk)
- Judge extends block of Miss. anti-abortion law – Detroit Free Press (freep.com)
- Granderson: Mississippi’s abortion end run (cnn.com)
