Little Rock, Ark., Aug 7, 2019 / 08:59 am
A federal judge has extended a temporary injunction against three new abortion clinic regulations in Arkansas.
Saying that women would "suffer irreparable harm" if the laws were to be enforced, District Court Judge Kristine Baker of the Eastern District of Arkansas on August 6 blocked the regulations while legal challenges play out in court.
The laws in question would ban abortions after 18 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases of rape, incest, and medical emergency. They would require doctors who perform abortions to be board-certified or eligible in obstetrics and gynecology, and they would prohibit abortions based solely on a Down syndrome diagnosis for the baby.
The new regulations had been set to go into effect July 24.