Attorneys for Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in federal court claiming that new laws in Alabama wrongfully infringe upon a woman’s right to abortion.
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley signed new abortion restrictions into law in April, mandating that all doctors who perform the procedure in clinics also maintain staff privileges at hospitals.
Attorneys filing the suit argue that the law will lead to the closure of three of the five health clinics in the state that provide abortions, Reuters reported. Many doctors who perform abortions in the state are unable to obtain the staff privileges because the hospitals object to the procedure or because they live too far from the hospital, lawsuit paperwork stated.
“We are in court to protect a woman’s ability to make her own personal, private, health-care decisions,” said Staci Fox, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood Southeast, in the Reuters report.
The law is set to take effect July 1.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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