Federal judge extends ban on new Kentucky abortion law

The judge is offering the state’s two remaining abortion clinics extra time to describe their objections to the legislation

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A federal decide in Kentucky has prolonged a temporary ban on the enforcement of a new state law that correctly ended abortions due to the fact the state’s two clinics claimed they just cannot comply with all its needs.

U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings is offering the clinics much more time to demonstrate their objections to the law. Jennings extended a temporary restraining purchase until May perhaps 19, just after the present one expires Thursday. Jennings mentioned, even so, some sections of the regulation not in dispute by the two clinics and point out officials would go into effect.

“I imagine there are pieces of this laws that can be complied with correct now,” Jennings stated. The judge is arranging an order on these parameters this 7 days.

Attorneys for the clinics, Prepared Parenthood and the EMW Women’s Surgical Center, were in courtroom Monday to question for a preliminary injunction on the law, which would be an extended ban.

Attorneys for the clinics went by line-by-line objections to Kentucky’s new legislation in the course of the four-hour hearing in Louisville’s federal courthouse. Lawyers with Attorney Typical Daniel Cameron’s business, which is defending the new law, argued during the listening to that the clinics want to present specifics on why they just can’t comply with the law.

“We sustain that there is no reason this regulation need to be stopped from getting influence,” Cameron said in a geared up statement Monday.

Lawyers for the clinics argued the regulation is intricate and the condition has not still established up the rules for them to comply with.

“We are hopeful the decide will acquire into thought the arguments created these days and prevent the condition from enforcing these extremely hard specifications on abortion providers in the point out of Kentucky,” Julie Murray, a law firm for Planned Parenthood, explained just after the listening to.

Kentucky’s Republican-led legislature passed the new regulation in March and then overrode Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto of the measure in April. Both of those of the clinics resumed abortion providers following Jennings briefly halted the legislation last month.

The new regulation bans abortions soon after 15 months of being pregnant and needs women of all ages to be examined by a medical professional ahead of getting abortion products. It consists of new limits and reporting necessities, and enforcement of that compliance with stiff fines, felony penalties and revocation of medical doctor and facility licenses.