Tennessee Loses Bid to Enforce 48-Hour Abortion Waiting Period

A Tennessee law requiring abortion patients to wait 48 hours before having the procedure imposes an undue burden on women seeking legal abortions and may not be enforced while an appeal over its constitutionality is ongoing, a federal trial court said.

The provision presents a substantial obstacle to abortion, as it “significantly delays this time sensitive medical procedure” and makes it time-consuming, costly, and inconvenient, especially for low-income women, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee said.

The court denied the state’s motion to stay a preliminary decision blocking the law’s enforcement following its appeal to the ...