SCOTUS Blocks Louisiana Abortion Law In 5-4 Vote

The Wall Street Journal reports:

A divided Supreme Court late on Thursday blocked Louisiana from implementing abortion regulations that could limit the availability of the procedure in the state, in an interim action that could set the stage for the court to weigh in on abortion rights in the near future.

The court’s action, which split the justices 5 to 4, wasn’t a ruling on the merits of the case but a preliminary order that prevents Louisiana from enforcing the restrictions while abortion-rights advocates challenge a lower-court ruling that sided with the state.

The court’s four liberal justices and Chief Justice John Roberts joined to block the regulations for now. As is customary when the court issues such orders, the majority didn’t explain its reasoning.

SCOTUS has just temporarily blocked a ruling by the 5th Circuit that violated precedent & was designed to shut down abortion providers in Louisiana. While this ruling falls on the right side of history, it’s a sobering reminder that our rights hang by a dangerously thin thread. https://t.co/92xBNHGZJk

— NARAL (@NARAL) February 8, 2019

In a 5-4 decision, SCOTUS temporarily blocked a law that could have eliminated abortion access at all but one health center in Louisiana.

While access to abortion in the state remains protected for now, Kavanaugh’s dissent reminds us the threat to Roe v. Wade remains very real. https://t.co/bFJAtwufkm

— Planned Parenthood Action (@PPact) February 8, 2019

Kavanaugh’s dissent is absurd. He says SCOTUS should not block the law because Louisiana claims it won’t enforce it too “aggressively” at first. Absolute nonsense. A bad-faith pinky promise does not justify flagrant violation of Supreme Court precedent. https://t.co/xSaTIvjYvN pic.twitter.com/cdXQ70gb2I

— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) February 8, 2019