On Tuesday, the Supreme Court struck a blow to Planned Parenthood by rejecting the abortion giant’s request to review an appeals court decision that upholds pro-life legislation concerning abortion pills in Arkansas.
Planned Parenthood was challenging an Arkansas safety measure for pregnant women seeking a pair of abortion pills known as mifepristone, which restricts the unborn child from attaching to the uterine wall, and misopostol, which essentially causes a miscarriage, expelling the unborn child.
The state’s law requires the pregnancy-ending pills to be administered by a doctor who holds “a contract with another physician who has admitting privileges at a hospital, and would agree to handle and treat complications,” according to the Associated Press.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which overturned the ruling against the pro-life law, put the legislation on hold as Planned Parenthood made their unsuccessful legal challenge. As of Tuesday, Arkansas can enforce the safety measure.
The move by the Supreme Court has advanced the pro-life cause significantly in Arkansas, where Planned Parenthood affiliates do not provide surgical abortions and reportedly cannot find any willing obstetricians to comply with the upheld pro-life measure concerning abortion pills.
“As Attorney General, I have fully defended this law at every turn and applaud the Supreme Court’s decision against Planned Parenthood today,” praised Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. “Protecting the health and well-being of women and the unborn will always be a priority. We are a pro-life state and always will be as long as I am attorney general.”
Legal challenges are expected to continue, as vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America Dawn Laguens has argued that the law constitutes an “undue burden” on women seeking abortion in the state.
“This dangerous law also immediately ends access to safe, legal abortion at all but one health center in the state,” says a statement from Laguens. “If that’s not an undue burden, what is? This law cannot and must not stand. We will not stop fighting for every person’s right to access safe, legal abortion.”