By Dave Andrusko

Planned Parenthood of Arizona may not be appealing a state court ruling denying its request to halt four parts of a 2009 abortion law from going into effect, but it is still committed to challenging laws enacted in 2011, according to the Arizona Republic.

Last month, an Arizona appeals court ruled that the 2009 law did not constitute an “undue burden.” The provisions, which go into effect today, include:

·     Parental consent for minors who wish to abort must be notarized

·     Health-care workers, including pharmacists, may decline to provide information or access to abortion.

·     Only physicians can perform first-trimester abortions, including chemical abortions.

·     An informed consent provision requiring that women meet in person with an abortionist 24 hours in advance. 

Meanwhile a judge in Maricopa County signed off on an arrangement agreed to by Planned Parenthood and the state whereby most of the regulations enacted in 2011 go into effect even while Planned Parenthood challenges the provisions in court.

They prohibit nurse practitioners from performing chemical abortions (which account for about half of the abortions in Arizona) and require clinics that perform chemical abortions “to satisfy state requirements on personnel, equipment, facilities and procedures that previously were imposed only on clinics that perform surgical abortions.” In addition, prior to an abortion clinics must offer mothers the option of listening to their child’s heartbeat and to view ultrasounds.

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