Mississippi imposes nation’s toughest abortion law

JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi’s governor signed the nation’s most restrictive abortion law Monday — and was sued within the hour.

The law and responding challenge set up a confrontation sought by abortion opponents, who hope federal courts will prohibit abortions before a fetus is viable. Current federal law does not.

Some experts say a change in the law is unlikely unless the makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court changes to favor abortion opponents.

Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed House Bill 1510 , which bans most abortions after 15 weeks, on Monday.

The law’s only exceptions are if a fetus has health problems making it “incompatible with life” outside the womb at full term, or if a pregnant woman’s life or a “major bodily function” is threatened. Pregnancies resulting from rape and incest aren’t exempted.

Mississippi and North Carolina previously had the nation’s strictest abortion limits at 20 weeks. Both states count pregnancy as beginning on the first day of a woman’s previous menstrual period. That means restrictions kick in about two weeks before those of states whose 20-week bans begin at conception.

“We’ll probably be sued in about half an hour,” Bryant said to laughter as he signed the bill. “That’ll be fine with me.”

Bryant’s prediction was accurate. The state’s only abortion clinic and one of its physicians sued in federal court within an hour, arguing the law violates other federal rulings saying a state can’t restrict abortion before a child can survive on its own outside the womb.

The Jackson Women’s Health Organization, in a lawsuit handled by the Center of Reproductive Rights, argued the measure is unconstitutional and should be struck down.