Abortion law update

Published July 13, 2018

The court battle on abortion in Arkansas is gearing up for more rounds as the state again appealed a district judge’s preliminary injunction that bars the enforcement of a 2015 law effectively barring medication abortions.

The attorney general’s office filed notice July 5 when U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker issued an injunction after hearing more evidence from Planned Parenthood that the law would cause them to stop providing abortions in the state. The organization operates clinics in Little Rock and Fayetteville, providing medication abortions. The Little Rock Family Planning Services clinic performs both medication and surgical abortions.

The injunction was similar to Baker’s March 2016 injunction, then dissolved by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis, according to a July 6 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article.

On May 29, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from the law’s opponents.

The Abortion-Inducing Drugs Safety Act, passed in 2015, requires doctors who prescribe abortion-inducing drugs to have a contract with another doctor who has hospital admitting privileges and who will agree to handle emergencies and admit patients to a nearby hospital, as proponents of the law say there are documented risks including hemorrhaging and infections.

The latest preliminary injunction is still in effect, meaning medication abortions can continue, until a new court order is issued.

Catherine Phillips, diocesan Respect Life Office director, said while making abortion illegal is important, changing the life circumstances and mentality of those who believe abortion is the only option will ultimately make abortion unthinkable, no matter the laws in place. The work of pregnancy care centers that help families and promote adoption, those who pray in front of the abortion clinic and doctors choosing not to partner with Planned Parenthood are all standing for life, she added.

“From a Catholic perspective, of course, we talk about a consistent ethic of life, which means we can’t ignore the underlying cause here — what drives a woman to choose abortion, a mother to choose abortion? Or the father of the child to press for abortion?” Phillips said. “We also need to give our time and resources to working to change social and economic structures.”