State Abortion Legislation
Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region et al., v. Ohio Department of Health, et al.
The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Ohio, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the law firm WilmerHale, and Fanon Rucker of the Cochran Law Firm, on behalf of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, Preterm-Cleveland, Women’s Med Group Professional Corporation, Dr. Sharon Liner, and Julia Quinn, MSN, BSN, amended a complaint in an existing lawsuit against a ban on telehealth medication abortion services to bring new claims under the Ohio Reproductive Freedom Amendment, including additional challenges to other laws in Ohio that restrict access to medication abortion in the state.
Status: Ongoing
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U.S. Supreme Court
Apr 2022
State Abortion Legislation
Cameron v. EMW Women’s Surgical Center
In 2018, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Kentucky filed a suit on behalf of Kentucky abortion providers and their patients challenging a state law banning physicians from providing a safe and medically proven abortion method called dilation and evacuation, or “D&E.” If it were to take effect, this law would prevent many patients from being able to obtain an abortion altogether. After two courts held that the law is unconstitutional, the Supreme Court ruled in March 2022 that Kentucky Attorney General Cameron can continue his pursuit to push abortion out of reach by intervening in the underlying challenge to an abortion ban, which is proceeding in a lower court.
U.S. Supreme Court
Dec 2021
State Abortion Legislation
Whole Woman's Health v. Jackson
The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Texas, and coalition partners filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of abortion providers and funds on July 13, 2021, challenging S.B. 8, a Texas law allowing private citizens to enforce a ban on abortion as early as six weeks in pregnancy—before many know they are pregnant. The ACLU’s challenge made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court three times in as many months. After hearing oral arguments in the case, the Court issued a decision on December 10, 2021, that ended the most promising pathways to blocking the ban. The Supreme Court’s decision makes it more difficult to obtain adequate relief from the courts and gives states the green light to ban abortion using bounty-hunting schemes. Texas’ abortion ban will remain in effect until relief can be secured from a court.
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37 State Abortion Legislation Cases
Court Case
Oct 2021
State Abortion Legislation
SisterSong v. Kemp
The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Georgia, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit, SisterSong v. Kemp, challenging a Georgia law banning abortion as early as six weeks into pregnancy, before many people know they are pregnant. This law would practically eliminate abortion care in the state and impose an unconstitutional ban on abortion. The case is currently stayed before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit pending a decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
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Court Case
Oct 2021
State Abortion Legislation
SisterSong v. Kemp
The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Georgia, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit, SisterSong v. Kemp, challenging a Georgia law banning abortion as early as six weeks into pregnancy, before many people know they are pregnant. This law would practically eliminate abortion care in the state and impose an unconstitutional ban on abortion. The case is currently stayed before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit pending a decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
Indiana
Oct 2021
State Abortion Legislation
Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, Inc. v. Commissioner, Indiana State Department of Health, et al.
In May 2017, Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Indiana, challenged a law creating unnecessary obstacles to abortion for people under 18 years of age. The lawsuit was filed against the Commissioner of the Indiana State Department of Health.
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Indiana
Oct 2021
State Abortion Legislation
Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, Inc. v. Commissioner, Indiana State Department of Health, et al.
In May 2017, Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Indiana, challenged a law creating unnecessary obstacles to abortion for people under 18 years of age. The lawsuit was filed against the Commissioner of the Indiana State Department of Health.
Alabama
Aug 2021
State Abortion Legislation
Robinson, et al. v. Marshall, et al.
The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Alabama, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America filed a lawsuit challenging an extreme law that bans abortion in nearly every case and punishes doctors with up to 99 years in prison for providing care.
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Alabama
Aug 2021
State Abortion Legislation
Robinson, et al. v. Marshall, et al.
The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Alabama, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America filed a lawsuit challenging an extreme law that bans abortion in nearly every case and punishes doctors with up to 99 years in prison for providing care.
Court Case
Jun 2021
State Abortion Legislation
All-Options v. Attorney General of Indiana
This lawsuit, brought by a coalition of health care providers and a pregnancy resource center, challenges several recently enacted abortion restrictions in Indiana, including a measure forcing health care providers to share false and misleading information with their patients about “reversing” a medication abortion, a bogus claim that may lead some patients to end a pregnancy based on the mistaken belief that its effects can later be undone.
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Court Case
Jun 2021
State Abortion Legislation
All-Options v. Attorney General of Indiana
This lawsuit, brought by a coalition of health care providers and a pregnancy resource center, challenges several recently enacted abortion restrictions in Indiana, including a measure forcing health care providers to share false and misleading information with their patients about “reversing” a medication abortion, a bogus claim that may lead some patients to end a pregnancy based on the mistaken belief that its effects can later be undone.
U.S. Supreme Court
Jun 2021
State Abortion Legislation
Little Rock Family Planning Services, et al., v. Rutledge, et al.
In 2019, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit challenging three Arkansas laws that sought to severely restrict abortion rights in the state. These laws would ban abortion care starting at 18 weeks of pregnancy, ban abortion based on the woman’s reason for her decision, and prohibit qualified physicians from continuing to safely provide abortion care for no conceivable health or medical purpose, thereby imposing an unconstitutional burden on patients seeking abortion care in the state. In 2019, we successfully obtained a preliminary injunction, blocking these laws from taking effect. In January of 2021 the Eighth Circuit affirmed the preliminary injunction of the 18-week ban and ban based on a patient’s reason for seeking care.
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U.S. Supreme Court
Jun 2021
State Abortion Legislation
Little Rock Family Planning Services, et al., v. Rutledge, et al.
In 2019, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit challenging three Arkansas laws that sought to severely restrict abortion rights in the state. These laws would ban abortion care starting at 18 weeks of pregnancy, ban abortion based on the woman’s reason for her decision, and prohibit qualified physicians from continuing to safely provide abortion care for no conceivable health or medical purpose, thereby imposing an unconstitutional burden on patients seeking abortion care in the state. In 2019, we successfully obtained a preliminary injunction, blocking these laws from taking effect. In January of 2021 the Eighth Circuit affirmed the preliminary injunction of the 18-week ban and ban based on a patient’s reason for seeking care.