Appeals court upholds Louisiana law imposing restrictions on abortion doctors

A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld a Louisiana state law that requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.

The ruling handed down Wednesday is the latest victory for states seeking to impose strict requirements on the practice of abortion. A federal appeals court ruled this month that Missouri can enforce a state law that requires abortion clinics to meet the same safety and quality requirements as an ambulatory surgical center.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the Louisiana law should be upheld because it did not create an undue burden on abortion access, according to a report in Reuters.

“There is no evidence that any of the clinics will close as a result of the Act,” the ruling reportedly said.

But dissenting Judge Patrick Higginbottom, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, said that the court failed to fully weigh whether the Louisiana law restricted abortion access.

Louisiana and other state laws are in defiance of a 2016 Supreme Court ruling that struck down a Texas law that required abortion providers to have admitting privileges and impose the surgical center requirement.

States are looking to challenge that ruling and the challenges in the hopes of reaching the Supreme Court.

Retired Justice Anthony Kennedy voted with the court’s liberal wing, striking down the 2013 Texas law.

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