SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – All three of Louisiana’s abortion clinics, including Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport, are looking to move out of state following a ruling last week that allowed the state’s near-total abortion ban to remain in effect.
The Louisiana Supreme Court denied an appeal Friday that sought to reimpose a block on the state’s abortion trigger laws while a lawsuit filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of June Medical Services, which operates the Shreveport clinic, makes its way through the courts. As of Tuesday, no hearings had been set in the lawsuit.
Louisiana’s trigger laws ban abortions except in rare cases to save a pregnant person’s life or when the fetus wouldn’t survive birth, with no exceptions for rape or incest. The CRR lawsuit claims Louisiana’s 2006 and 2022 Human Life Protection Act are unconstitutionally vague and violate due process.
While the legal battle continues, Hope Medical Group Medical Director Kathaleen Pittman says they are looking for other ways to provide abortion care.
“Louisiana’s aggressive enforcement of a patchwork of vague trigger bans has made it impossible for Hope Medical Group for Women to keep its doors open, depriving countless people of critical healthcare services,” Pittman said in a statement to KTAL/KMSS.
“However, we remain committed to our organizational mission, and our staff are unwavering in their desire to serve people in need. Therefore, we are now exploring relocation options and welcoming public financial support so that we may continue to provide quality, accessible care. We are determined to continue to provide abortion care wherever that takes us.”
Supporters of the clinic started a GoFundMe on Sunday with a goal of raising $100,000 to cover costs associated with relocating the clinic, including funds to secure a new building, relocating staff and moving equipment.
Louisiana Right To Life released a statement Monday reacting to the news that the last remaining abortion clinics might be leaving the state.
Today is a historic day in Louisiana. For the first time in almost 50 years, Louisiana will be free from businesses that exist to end the lives of precious unborn babies. These businesses will also no longer inflict emotional and physical damage on women in Louisiana. As they depart, numerous other Louisiana public and private agencies will remain open to offer help to women and families both before and after birth. As these abortion facilities relocate, we are dedicated to helping other states in the Gulf Coast and across America defend life.
Benjamin Clapper, Executive Director of Louisiana Right to Life
Pittman says there is no timeline yet for a move and they have not yet identified a state, but they are actively looking.
