Judge Dismisses Abortion Clinic Lawsuit

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The state has won a federal lawsuit over a new law that gives Louisiana's health secretary more discretion to shut down an abortion clinic for safety or health concerns.

A group of abortion clinics had sued the state health department, saying the law deprives the clinics of basic protections given to other licensed health care facilities in the state and encourages discriminatory enforcement against them.

U.S. District Judge James Brady has dismissed the lawsuit, saying the state hasn't shown any plans to use the new law in a draconian fashion and no hardship on the clinics has been shown.

DHH says the new law protects the health and safety of women and puts the health secretary's authority over abortion clinics in line with his authority over substance abuse and adult day care facilities.