Planned Parenthood to Fight New Wis. Abortion Law

Wisconsin's abortion providers plan to fight a new state law that requires abortion doctors to have hospital admitting privileges, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

"We are going to court to protect a woman's ability to make her own personal, private healthcare decisions," said Teri Huyck, president of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. "Abortion is a deeply personal and often complex decision, but ultimately a decision that a woman should make. Politics should not interfere."

Gov. Scott Walker said Friday he signed the bill, which was passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature last month.

Along with Planned Parenthood, the state's other abortion provider, Affiliated Medical Services, will contend in federal court that the law violates the Constitution's due process guarantee.

Planned Parenthood claims the law will shutter abortion services at two clinics and reduce the capacity of a third by at least half.

Huyck said abortion is an outpatient service and hospitalization is rare. When it is needed, patients get into hospitals without problems, she said.

Huyck said it is impossible in some cases for doctors to obtain admitting privileges because some hospitals have a requirement that doctors admit a minimum number of patients per year. The problem is, abortion doctors rarely have to admit patients to hospitals, she said.