A federal judge heard Monday from attorneys for abortion providers urging that enforcement of a North Carolina law set to take effect next week should be blocked because the additional hurdles for women and doctors are unconstitutional.
The abortion rules, which became law after the Republican-led General Assembly overrode Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue’s veto, set more ultrasound requirements for medical professionals among other restrictions. The physician or someone working with the doctor must put the electronic image of the fetus in front of the pregnant woman at least four hours before the procedure, describe what the woman may view and offer her the chance to listen to the fetal heartbeat.
Bebe Anderson, a lawyer with the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights, argued these “extreme measures” exceed what the U.S. Supreme Court has permitted states to regulate abortion by subjecting women to images they may not want to see, and violates the medical ethics of doctors who feel the government is forcing them to carry out the legislature’s ideology.
Source: MyFox8.com