Louisiana abortion clinic wants regulatory rewrite nullified

By MELINDA DESLATTE, Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A Louisiana abortion clinic is asking a state judge to throw out a 2015 state rewrite of clinic regulations, saying the health department ignored the rules for making such changes.Hope Medical Group for Women says the Louisiana Department of Health disregarded reams of public comments about the regulations when they were being proposed.

On Wednesday, the clinic filed a motion asking the judge in an ongoing lawsuit to declare the licensing standards unenforceable. No hearing date was immediately set.

Former Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration said the regulatory rewrite more clearly spelled out licensing requirements and staffing provisions designed to protect women's safety.

Abortion-rights supporters say the changes aimed to hinder abortion clinic operations by adding burdensome paperwork requirements and making it easier to be deemed in violation of rules.

Categories: AP News, State News