Federal judge's ruling lets South Bend abortion clinic open

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - A federal judge has granted an injunction allowing an abortion clinic to open in northern Indiana, calling the state's refusal to issue a license a "substantial obstacle" for women.

The South Bend Tribune reports Judge Sarah Evans Barker ruled Friday that the Indiana State Department of Health's rejection of Whole Woman's Health Alliance's request for a South Bend abortion clinic license is a violation of due process and equal protections. A federal lawsuit on the clinic's license continues with trial set before Barker in August 2020.

The judge wrote in her Friday order that northern Indiana women may not have the ability to travel for an abortion. The facility would be the seventh abortion clinic in Indiana.

St. Joseph County Right to Life officials say they are disappointed in the ruling and concerned for women in the community.

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Information from: South Bend Tribune, http://www.southbendtribune.com