Federal appeals court blocks Ariz. abortion pill restrictions

Jun 5 2014

The court said the state didn't present evidence that the regulations furthered women's health. Elsewhere, a bill to stop employers from denying birth control coverage in their plans is considered in New York.

The Wall Street Journal: Arizona's Limits On 'Abortion Pills' Struck Down By Court
A federal appeals court Tuesday struck down an Arizona regulation requiring that so-called abortion pills be administered under a protocol that abortion-rights activists say is outdated and overly restrictive. Ruling in favor of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Center for Reproductive Rights, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that lawyers for the Arizona Department of Health Services "presented no evidence whatsoever that the law furthers any interest in women's health" (Phillips, 6/3).

The Associated Press: Arizona Abortion Restrictions To Remain Blocked
The nation's strictest rules on the use of abortion drugs are likely to be struck down and will continue to be blocked while a lawsuit against them plays out, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. A unanimous three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the Arizona regulations appear to be an unconstitutional "undue burden on a woman's right to abortion" and kept in place its injunction on them. The decision reverses a lower court ruling that found the rules legal (Christie and Elias, 6/3).

The Associated Press: Senate Advances Bill On Birth Control Insurance
A bill that would prevent employers from denying their workers reproductive health coverage under their insurance plans is slowly making its way through the [New York] Senate toward a vote. On Tuesday, the measure dubbed the "Boss Bill" was unanimously reported out of the Senate labor committee. … Manhattan Democrat Sen. Liz Krueger, the bill's sponsor, says it will close a loophole in the state's anti-discrimination law, regardless of the Supreme Court [Hobby Lobby case] decision (6/4).