Mississippi’s Only Abortion Clinic Facing Threat Of Being Shut Down, Petitions To Stay Open

Jackson, MS — The owners of the only abortion clinic in Mississippi are heading to federal court in an attempt to stop a new state law that would force the clinic to close its door. The law would effectively ban abortion in the state.

The Jackson Women’s Health Organization filed for a preliminary injunction Wednesday to delay enforcement of the new law.

Officials from the clinic say House Bill 1390, which was signed into law in April, imposes unnecessary guidelines. It requires doctors to have admitting privileges at a local hospital, which the clinic’s doctors have been unable to gain.

“We’ve done everything we can to comply with this law and have been shut down at every juncture,” said Diane Derzis, the clinic’s owner and president.

“Hopefully we’ll get a federal judge to see that the state of Mississippi has effectively banned abortion in the state and we hope the judge declares it unconstitutional,” Derzis said.

A federal judge temporarily blocked the law from going into effect in July. This gave the clinic time to comply with the law and stopped the state from imposing criminal and civil penalties.

If the court does not grant a temporary injunction while the clinic fights the constitutionality of the law, it will have to close down as early as February.

“Anti-choice politicians were very clear that they had one thing in mind when they passed this law: to shut down Mississippi’s only abortion clinic,” said Nancy Northup, president and CEO at the Center for Reproductive Rights.

“It isn’t a surprise to anyone that the physicians at the Jackson Women’s Health Organization haven’t been able to obtain admitting privileges at any local hospital.”

The law’s sponsor, state Rep. Sam Mims said the measure’s purpose was not to ban abortion, but to “protect the health of women by giving them professional care.”

“I believe life begins at conception and I think a lot of Mississippians do as well,” Mims said. “If this legislation causes less abortion, then that’s a good thing.”

The clinic has been unable to secure hospital privileges at any of the 12 area hospitals.

Professor W. Martin Wiseman, director of the Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University, said, “A lot of facilities and hospitals, no doubt, don’t want to… be labeled as the one facility that’s hospitable to providing abortions.”