Louisiana Supreme Court rejects appeal to suspend state's abortion ban

Last Friday, the Louisiana Supreme Court rejected an appeal filed by plaintiffs in the ongoing legal battle over the state's abortion ban, allowing the ban to remain in place.

The ruling came as a major blow to abortion rights advocates and providers, who had hoped that the ban would be blocked for a third time, allowing Louisiana's three abortion clinics to begin performing procedures again.

On July 21, Judge Donald Johnson issued a preliminary injunction allowing the clinics to continue performing abortions while the ban lawsuit was pending. But eight days later the proceedings were halted when a court ruled in favor of state Attorney General Jeff Landry, who granted an appeal and ordered Johnson to reinstate enforcement of the ban.

The plaintiffs who appealed the First Circuit Court's decision to the Louisiana Supreme Court were thus unsuccessful.