By Associated Press - Thursday, March 21, 2019

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The Latest on the signing of (all times local):

3 p.m.

A physician who is president of Planned Parenthood of America is criticizing a Mississippi law that will ban most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, about six weeks into pregnancy. Dr. Leana Wen says the law “will endanger women’s lives.”

Republican Gov. Phil Bryant on Thursday signed one of the strictest abortion laws in the nation. This happened a few months after a federal judge ruled that a 2018 Mississippi law banning abortion at 15 weeks is unconstitutional.

The Center for Reproductive Rights says it will sue Mississippi to try to block the more restrictive law from taking effect July 1.

Wen says Planned Parenthood “cannot accept a world where the right to abortion care depends on where you live or how much money you make.”

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11:45 a.m.

Mississippi’s governor has signed one of the strictest abortion laws in the nation.

Gov. Phil Bryant signed a bill Thursday outlawing most abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, about six weeks into pregnancy.

The Center for Reproductive Rights calls the bill “blatantly unconstitutional” and says it will sue Mississippi to block the bill from taking effect July 1.

Mississippi is one of several states where Republican leaders are considering abortion-restriction bills this year. Abortion opponents are emboldened by new conservatives on the Supreme Court and are seeking cases to challenge the court’s 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.

Bryant tweeted that he will fight for “innocent babies, even under the threat of legal action.”

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6 a.m.

Gov. Phil Bryant says he’s not worried about lawsuits as Mississippi prepares to enact one of the strictest abortion laws in the nation.

The Republican governor is scheduled to sign a bill Thursday to outlaw most abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, about six weeks into pregnancy.

The Center for Reproductive Rights calls the bill “blatantly unconstitutional” and says it will sue Mississippi to block the bill from taking effect July 1.

Mississippi is one of several states where Republican leaders are considering similar bills this year. Abortion opponents are emboldened by new conservatives on the Supreme Court and are seeking cases to challenge the court’s 1973 ruling the legalized abortion nationwide.

Bryant tweeted that he will fight for “innocent babies, even under the threat of legal action.”

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