Utah judge blocks “unreasonable” abortion clinic ban from taking effect

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A Utah district court on Tuesday issued a temporary order blocking the state from enforcing what it described as an “unreasonable” law that would ban abortion clinics from operating after January 1, 2024, but would allow hospitals to continue carrying out abortions until 18 weeks gestation, Reuters reports. The law was due to go into effect on Wednesday, May 3.

The case was brought by Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, which argued that House Bill 467, passed by the Republican-led state Legislature, and signed by Republican Gov. Spencer Cox in March, discriminates against abortion clinics.

House Bill 467 bans abortion clinics from operating in the state on or after January 1, 2024, “or the last valid date of an abortion clinic license issued … whichever date is later.”

Agreeing that the bill is discriminatory, Judge Andrew H. Stone of the Third District Court of the state of Utah ruled that Planned Parenthood was likely to prevail in its argument that the law is unreasonable. “The Clinic Ban places a greater burden on licensed abortion clinics by criminalizing abortions performed in such clinics despite the unrebutted evidence that abortions performed in an outpatient clinic are equally as safe as those performed in a hospital,” Stone wrote.

“(Planned Parenthood) has advanced a factual record supporting the conclusion that the Legislature’s classification is unreasonable and appears to single out abortion clinics without any justification,” Stone ruled.

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