Federal judge temporarily blocks Indiana abortion ‘reversal’ law

A federal judge Wednesday temporarily blocked Indiana’s controversial law that would have required health care providers to share information with their patients about “reversing” a medication-induced abortion, a disputed claim that is not backed by science.

The ruling came just one day before the law was set to take effect. The bill, which required providers to recite specific language to women seeking a medication abortion, was passed by the GOP-controlled legislature earlier this year, and Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) signed it into law in April.

U.S. District Court Judge James Patrick Hanlon, an appointee of former President Trump, ruled that the abortion-rights groups challenging the law had “a reasonable likelihood of success” on their claim that it violates the free speech rights of abortion providers.

“While the State may require abortion providers to give a woman seeking an abortion certain types of information as part of the informed-consent process, that information must, at a minimum, be truthful and not misleading,” Hanlon wrote.

“Plaintiffs have shown a reasonable likelihood of being able to show that the Required Disclosure is not,” he added.