Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Mississippi’s 15-Week Abortion Ban

On Monday, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed a bill that bans abortions after 15 weeks. At 15 weeks, a baby is about the size of a naval orange or apple.

The bones of your baby’s skeleton are hardening and his muscle tissue continues to develop. His legs, which are still short, are growing longer every day.

Your baby’s eyes are still shut, but they’re now becoming sensitive to light. His hearing abilities are developing too. By the end of this week, he can probably hear your heart beating and your tummy gurgling. He may even hear the muffled sound of your voice.

That baby is a little person. It’s simply undeniable.

I was proud to sign House Bill 1510 this afternoon. I am committed to making Mississippi the safest place in America for an unborn child, and this bill will help us achieve that goal. pic.twitter.com/O0O4QeILLx

— Phil Bryant (@PhilBryantMS) March 19, 2018

Good on Mississippi. It’s about time. Banning the murder of innocent babies in the womb after 15 weeks is the LEAST we can do. The bill– coined the “Gestational Age Act”– details the reality of fetal development. Lawmakers mention that the baby has a heartbeat, teeth, eyes and rapidly developing vital organs.

The majority of abortion procedures performed after fifteen (15) weeks’ gestation are dilation and evacuation procedures which involve the use of surgical instruments to crush and tear the unborn child apart before removing the pieces of the dead child from the womb. The Legislature finds that the intentional commitment of such acts for nontherapeutic or elective reasons is a barbaric practice, dangerous for the maternal patient, and demeaning to the medical profession.

You can read the bill here.

The bill only makes exceptions for emergencies like “severe fetal abnormality.” There is no exception for rape or incest. It may sound harsh, but I’d argue this: Why would you wait until AFTER 15 weeks to have an abortion in those cases?

The law also puts physicians on notice. Doctors who perform abortions after 15 weeks will be required to submit reports detailing the circumstances. If they knowingly violate the law, their medical licenses will be suspended or revoked in Mississippi. If they falsify records, they will face civil penalties or be forced to pay fines of up to $500.

Well, not so fast. On Tuesday, a federal judge decided to temporarily block the law.

A federal judge is temporarily blocking a new Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks, the most restrictive abortion law in the United States.

U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves on Tuesday granted a temporary restraining order requested by the state’s only abortion clinic. Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed House Bill 1510 on Monday, and it became law immediately.

Dr. Sacheen Carr-Ellis of the Jackson Women’s Health Organization said in court papers filed Monday that a woman 15 weeks or more pregnant was scheduled for a Tuesday afternoon abortion.

The law and responding challenge set up a confrontation sought by abortion opponents, who are hoping federal courts will ultimately prohibit abortions before a fetus is viable. Current federal law does not.

So the judge (he’s an Obama appointee– SHOCKER– blocked the law, and the woman was able to kill her baby. Liberals are actually happy about that.

Bryant called the judge’s decision to block the law “disappointing.”

I’d say so.

To be continued.