Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union are suing officials in three states to loosen abortion restrictions put in place during the coronavirus outbreak.
“A global pandemic is not an excuse to attack essential, time-sensitive medical procedures like abortion,” acting Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson said on Monday.
The lawsuits are against officials in Alabama, Iowa, and Ohio, all of which have suspended nonessential medical procedures during the pandemic, including abortions. Planned Parenthood has also sued Texas government officials after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott suspended abortions in the state over the coronavirus.
The goal of the organizations is to redefine abortion as an essential procedure, a move that several states — including New York, New Jersey, and Washington — have already made.
