MADISON, Wis. (WSAU) — A Madison judge has blocked Wisconsin’s law requiring doctors to have hospital admitting privileges before performing abortions.
Federal Judge William Conley had earlier issued a temporary injunction against the law. He issued a permanent injunction yesterday saying the law is unconstitutional. Conley says any benefit to a woman’s health is substantially outweighed by restricting access to abortions.
The lawsuit was filed by Planned Parenthood and Affiliated Medical Services. AMS said the inability of their Milwaukee doctors to get admitting privileges effectively shut down their abortion services, and believe that is what the law was really meant to do. Judge Conley agreed.
Governor Scott Walker signed the law July 5, 2013, and providers only had until July 8 to arrange for hospital admitting privileges. Conley says the sudden adoption of requirements without enough time for compliance, “compels a finding that its purpose was to impose a substantial obstacle on women’s right to abortions in Wisconsin.”
So far, Attorney General Brad Schimel has not commented on Judge Conley’s ruling. Democrats, Planned Parenthood, and AMS officials are praising the judge’s ruling.
