Mississippi judge blocks law that would have closed state’s only abortion clinic

The State of Mississippi was going to lose its only abortion clinic thanks to a new anti-abortion law. But on Sunday, the day that the law was supposed to go into effect, a judge blocked its passage, allowing the clinic to temporarily stay open, the New York Times reported.

Supporters of the law have argued that it was only passed to protect women's health. But the state's only abortion clinic, called the Jackson Women's Health Organization, launched a federal lawsuit last week arguing that the law's true purpose was to effectively put the clinic out of business. 

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In a ruling issued late Sunday, Judge Daniel P. Jordan III sided with the clinic. “Plaintiffs have offered evidence — including quotes from significant legislative and executive officers — that the act’s purpose is to eliminate abortions in Mississippi," Judge Jordan wrote in a statement, according to the Times. "They likewise submitted evidence that no safety or health concerns motivated its passage. This evidence has not yet been rebutted.”

Judge Jordan's restraining order against the law is just temporary for now, and he set another hearing on July 11 to determine if he should block the law for even longer, the Associated Press reported. 

On the surface, the law would have simply required that doctors who perform abortions be board-certified OB-GYNs and have privileges to admit patients to a hospital. But those extra requirements are so difficult to obtain that the clinic would have been forced to shut its doors, clinic spokesmen said. And Republican Gov. Phil Bryant has repeatedly admitted that he wants Mississippi to be "abortion-free," the AP reported.