Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union sued the state of Maine Wednesday over a law requiring that only doctors perform abortion procedures, the two organizations said.
According to the Portland Press Herald, the law, which was enacted in 1979, says that only medical doctors may perform abortions, prohibiting other medical staff such as nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives from performing the procedure. The report noted that 41 other states have similar laws.
Why are the groups suing?
Planned Parenthood and the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit challenging the law as “unconstitutional.” The ACLU argued on its website that “qualified nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives” can “safely and effectively” perform abortions in the first trimester of pregnancy.
AAN Staff
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