JACKSON, Miss. â€" A federal judge Sunday temporarily blocked enforcement of a Mississippi law that could shut down the only abortion clinic in the state.
U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan in Jackson issued a temporary restraining order the day the new law took effect and set a July 11 hearing to determine whether to block it for a longer time.
"Though the debate over abortion continues, there exists legal precedent the court must follow," Jordan wrote.
The law requires anyone performing abortions at the state's only clinic to be an obstetrician-gynecologist with privileges to admit patients to a local hospital. Such privileges can be difficult to obtain, and the clinic contends the mandate is designed to put it out of business. A clinic spokeswoman, Betty Thompson, has said the two physicians who do abortions there are OB-GYNs who travel from out of state.
The clinic, JacksonWomen's HealthOrganization, filed a lawsuit seeking to block the law, contending that the admitting privileges requirement is not medically necessary and designed to put the clinic out of business.
If JacksonWomen's HealthOrganization closes, Mississippi would be the only state without an abortion clinic.
When Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed the law, he said he wanted Mississippi to be abortion-free.
"The federal judge's decision is disappointing, and Gov. Bryant plans to work with st ate leaders to ensure this legislation properly takes effect as soon as possible," his spokesman said in a statement Sunday night.
In the order, Jordan wrote: "Plaintiffs have offered evidence â€" including quotes from significant legislative and executive officers â€" 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."
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