The following statement is from Steven H. Aden, Chief Legal Officer at Americans United for Life:
Today, in Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma v. Jegley, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Planned Parenthood’s challenge to Arkansas’ statutory requirement that doctors who engage in chemical abortions have a contract with a physician who has qualifying hospital admitting privileges and agrees to handle any complications. The requirement was preliminarily enjoined after Planned Parenthood claimed they were unable to find a contract physician. But despite their claims, Planned Parenthood found a contract physician and voluntarily dismissed their court challenge. The contract physician requirement is now enforceable, allowing Arkansas women to benefit from this common-sense health and safety law. AUL filed a “friend of the court” brief in support of Arkansas, arguing that Planned Parenthood failed to provide sufficient evidence that they were unable to comply with Arkansas’ contract physician requirement.
