When Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on Friday signed a harsh and restrictive abortion measure into law, he set the stage for a court battle with pro-choice groups, MSNBC reports.
The new law would require doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at hospitals within 30 miles of where a procedure is done and mandates ultrasounds for all women before the can get an abortion.
Planned Parenthood and Affiliated Medical Services has already filed a suit challenging the law, arguing that it violates the constitution's guarantee of due process. Women in Wisconsin are already forced to listen to a presentation and wait for 24 hours between that appointment and actually getting an abortion.
Two of the four clinics in the state have said that they would have to shut down because of the law, leaving Wisconsin's women with dramatically reduced options for essential reproductive care, particularly in the large rural part of the state.
Supporters of the law have argued that the regulations will help women make more informed choices and increase safety, although there is no evidence that requiring abortion providers to have admitting privileges actually makes the procedure safer. When done in proper medical conditions, abortion is safer than childbirth.
Read more at MSNBC.