Judge suspends abortion-clinic law
A federal judge in Kansas City temporarily blocked a new state abortion law after Planned Parenthood said the law would harm women by drastically reducing the number of clinics available to provide abortions.
The law, which was scheduled to take effect today, would put more abortion clinics under state supervision by categorizing them as outpatient surgery centers, requiring them to meet specific state building, staffing and health standards. The law would apply to any facility that performed more than five first-trimester abortions a month, or any second- or third-trimester abortions.
U.S. District Judge Ortrie Smith granted a temporary injunction, saying he would hold a hearing Sept. 10 on whether to make the injunction permanent.
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