(Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday permanently blocked parts of a Florida law that aimed to cut off state funding for preventive health services at clinics that also provide abortions. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle had issued a preliminary order in June after state Planned Parenthood affiliates challenged provisions as unconstitutional. The Planned Parenthood lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, focused on the funding cuts. Planned Parenthood also challenged state inspections seeking to review 50 percent of patient medical records at abortion clinics. Planned Parenthood did not challenge a related provision requiring doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, a type of formal affiliation that can be difficult to obtain.

Source: Huffington Post August 19, 2016 06:44 UTC