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Judge Temporarily Halts Shut Down Of Kentucky’s Last Abortion Provider

Ashley Lopez

The last abortion provider in Kentucky will be allowed to stay open while it sues the state’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services for threatening to revoke its license. 

U.S. District Judge Greg Stivers temporarily halted the shutdown of EMW Women’s Surgical Center in Louisville, ordering the state to allow the clinic to continue operating.  Stivers wrote that the plaintiffs have a “strong likelihood of success” in their suit against the state.

EMW was scheduled to be shut down Monday after the state agency claimed the clinic’s agreements with a local hospital and ambulance service were deficient.  The plaintiffs argue that the clinic’s agreements are in order and that they should have been given a hearing about the revocation of its license.

They also say that the state’s actions were in retaliation to EMW’s challenge to Kentucky's new ultrasound abortion requirement, which is also pending in federal court.

Ryland Barton is the Managing Editor for Collaboratives. He's covered politics and state government for NPR member stations KWBU in Waco and KUT in Austin. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago and a master's degree in journalism from the University of Texas. He grew up in Lexington.

Email Ryland at rbarton@lpm.org.
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