A federal judge has issued a temporary order allowing Little Rock Family Planning Services, the state’s only provider of surgical abortions, to resume abortions despite a cease and desist order issued Friday by the state Department of Health.
U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker issued a 22-page order Tuesday in response to an emergency motion filed on the clinic’s behalf Monday seeking to block the state from enforcing a general order issued April 4 by the governor and Friday’s Health Department order specifically directed at the clinic and threatening to suspend the clinic’s license.
The Department of Health on Friday ordered the clinic to stop performing surgical abortions, after an inspection found that the clinic was in violation of an order against elective surgeries during the covid-19 pandemic.
Baker's temporary order will expire 14 days from its issuance, on 3:30 p.m. April 28.
CORRECTION: The governor’s general order was issued April 4. An earlier version of this story misstated the date.