New abortion doctor regulations in Mississippi and Wisconsin will remain blocked by lower courts, after the Supreme Court declined Tuesday morning to consider them.
The laws are similar to the Texas law the Supreme Court struck down on Monday, requiring abortion doctors to obtain admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. The aim of such laws was to ensure a smoother care experience for women who might experience complications from an abortion, by ensuring they received care from the same doctor.
But the Supreme Court has agreed with critics of admitting privileges laws, saying they’re unnecessary for making abortions safer for women and unconstitutionally limit the right to obtain an abortion by forcing scads of clinics to shutter. Under Mississippi’s admitting privileges law, only one abortion clinic would have remained open in the state.
Lower courts have struck down the Mississippi and Wisconsin laws. Those rulings will remain in effect, now that the Supreme Court has declined to reverse them.
