Montana News
Montana Supreme Court temporarily blocks abortion restrictions
With Montana News, I'm Eleanor Smith. The Montana Supreme Court upheld a temporary block today on laws that would restrict access to abortion while a lawsuit continues to play out in district court. Montana abortion providers in the ACLU of Montana sued the state over laws passed in 2023, saying they're unconstitutional. The legislation would ban dilation and evacuation abortions, effectively ban medication abortions prescribed through telehealth and restrict Medicaid coverage of abortions. A district court initially blocked the laws back in May of 2023, saying they likely violate the state right to privacy. Longstanding legal precedent in Montana has found that right prevents undue government interference in abortion access. Governor Greg Gianforte called one of the blocks on the Medicaid coverage restrictions extreme. He pointed out Justice Jim Rice's loan dissenting opinion. The Justice wrote that the restrictions on coverage for abortion concern government funding, not access to healthcare. The majority ruling found that Medicaid coverage directly impacts access to healthcare for low-income patients. A final decision from the district court on the laws constitutionality is still pending.