Montana News
Montana clinics sue over new abortion provider regulations
With Montana News, I'm Corin Kate's Carney. Health care clinics are suing the state of Montana over new regulations for abortion providers. MTPR's Aaron Bolton reports. The state Health Department passed licensing regulations for clinics that provide abortions last month. The rules are wide ranging. Big changes include a rule that requires clinics to have a physician serve as a medical director and building requirements that could put smaller clinics out of compliance. All families health care in Whitefish and Blue Mountain Clinic in Missoula are suing over the regulations with the help of the ACLU Montana. The clinics argue the rules are meant to regulate quote abortion providers out of existence. State Health officials said last month that they may waive building requirements for existing providers. The department also said that requiring a physician to serve as a medical director does not limit advanced nurse practitioners from providing abortion care. That rule would put all families health care out of compliance as it's run by an advanced nurse practitioner. And it does not have a physician to become a medical director. The two clinics previously sued the state when lawmakers passed a law that required the Health Department to license abortion providers. In Columbia Falls, I'm Aaron Bolton. This is