A Kansas judge has temporarily blocked a new state law on medication abortions and suspended a restriction in place for years.
Judge K Christopher Jayaram’s order will remain in effect at least through June, pending the end of a trial in a lawsuit filed in Johnson County by abortion providers against the state.
The state’s medication abortion law mandated doctors to tell patients such abortions can be stopped using certain practices, although Jayaram said his research indicated there is no confirmation that regimen is effective.
Jayaram also stopped the state’s 24-hour waiting period in place since 1997.
Kansas lawmakers supporting stricter abortion measures were displeased by Monday’s ruling. The House leadership says the ruling “temporarily erases common sense protections for the mother,” including the right to a free ultrasound, the right to know a baby’s age and the right to know whether abortion providers have been disciplined by the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts.
