Mississippi's Sole Abortion Clinic

Mississippi's sole abortion clinic can stay open for now:

Doctors at Mississippi's sole abortion clinic are allowed to continue performing the procedure, even if they do not have admitting and staff privileges at an area hospital, as required by state law, a federal judge ruled Friday.

But state officials can begin an administrative process that could ultimately lead to the closing of the clinic, said U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III.

The decision comes in the wake of a law that was to have taken effect July 1 requiring all abortion providers in the state to be certified obstetrician/gynecologists with privileges at local hospitals. But they continued to practice under a temporary restraining order issued by Jordan that blocked the law's enforcement.

"The Act will be allowed to take effect, but Plaintiffs will not be subject to the risk of criminal or civil penalties at this time or in the future for operating without the relevant privileges during the administrative process," he wrote in Friday's 11-page order.

For more, go read the whole two-page article. I can't resist posting this gem:

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Sam Mims, a Republican, said he was "pleased" with the ruling. "While Judge Jordan's ruling allows the clinic to remain open for an undetermined time and continue performing abortions while attempting to meet the requirements of the new law, I am confident that the new legislation will result in the improvement of health care for women," he said in a statement.

That man's pants are smoking like crazy, and he knows it. Forcing the closure of abortion clinics by government regulations is the very opposite of "the improvement of health care for women." It's an immoral violation of rights -- and it's dishonest too.