Federal judge refuses to let Republican legislators join lawsuit challenging Wisconsin abortion la
I love it when punchy Fitzgerald gets a NO!
Federal judge refuses to let Republican legislators join lawsuit challenging Wisconsin abortion laws
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2019/04/23/judge-refuses-let-gop-legislators-join-planned-parenthood-lawsuit/3552296002/
Patrick Marley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Published 1:57 p.m. CT April 23, 2019 | Updated 6:27 p.m. CT April 23, 2019
MADISON - A federal judge Tuesday refused to let Wisconsin lawmakers intervene in a lawsuit challenging some of Wisconsin's abortion laws.
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin in January sought to overturn laws that prevent nurses from performing abortions and limit the ability of women to obtain medications that induce abortions.
Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul is defending those laws, but Republican lawmakers have said they don’t trust him and asked U.S. District Judge William Conley to let them intervene in the case.
GOP lawmakers said they didn't believe Kaul would defend the laws as ardently as possible because he had been endorsed by an arm of Planned Parenthood; had joined other states in challenging federal regulations barring family planning clinics that receive government funding from referring patients to abortion clinics; and had withdrawn friend-of-the-court briefs filed by his Republican predecessor in two cases challenging abortion restrictions in other states.
Conley said those concerns from Republicans weren't enough to given them the right to join the case.
"Even viewed collectively, this litany fails to demonstrate (or even come close to demonstrating) either gross negligence or bad faith," Conley said, referring to the standards that he found must be met for the Republican lawmakers to establish they had a right to intervene in the case.
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Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau said legislative leaders were reviewing whether to appeal the decision that's keeping them out of the case. ...............................
Planned Parenthood's lawsuit contends advanced practice nurses — such as nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives — should be able to perform certain types of abortions. The lawsuit also asks to make it easier for women to obtain medication that causes abortions, including by allowing them to consult with doctors and nurses through video links.............................................
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