Judge partially upholds Virginia infant protections

A federal judge on Monday upheld some Virginia laws protecting unborn babies while overturning others. U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson gave the green light to a law requiring women to receive an ultrasound at least 24 hours before an abortion, as well as one mandating that licensed physicians carry out the procedures. But the state can no longer dictate that second-trimester abortions must take place at a licensed outpatient hospital or that abortion facilities must meet the same standards as surgery centers.

Why some of the laws but not others? Hudson found that requiring a woman to have an ultrasound and wait 24 hours before getting an abortion was not a “substantial obstacle to abortion access.” He also cited Supreme Court precedent allowing states to determine which procedures can only be provided by physicians.

Dig deeper: Read Samantha Gobba’s report in Vitals about how a failed Virginia abortion bill sparked national debate in February.