Abortion providers in North Carolina file federal lawsuit challenging state's new restrictions

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Abortion providers in North Carolina file federal lawsuit challenging state’s new restrictions

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM
June 16, 2023

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Abortion providers in North Carolina filed a federal lawsuit Friday that challenges several provisions of a state law banning most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy in the dwindling days before the new restrictions take effect.

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and Dr. Beverly Gray, a Duke University OB-GYN, are asking a federal judge to block numerous provisions they argue are unclear and unconstitutional, or to place an injunction on the law to prevent it from being enforced.

Though the law may be commonly referred to as a 12-week abortion ban, the plaintiffs argue that it actually includes additional restrictions that many patients are not aware of — hurdles that will “impede health care professionals from providing quality care,” according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court.

“Many of these provisions are going to constrain an already very constrained abortion ecosystem in this state,” Planned Parenthood South Atlantic CEO Jenny Black told The Associated Press on Friday. “And so we really thought it was important that we challenged the elements of the law that do that.”

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-abortion-lawsuit-planned-parenthood-80a636820aa84f20e9ac5d71df1e4246