- Abortion opponents in Mississippi have filed a lawsuit challenging a local ordinance that will restrict noise levels and require protesters to remain a certain distance from the entrance of health care facilities. The lawsuit says the Jackson ordinance unconstitutionally limits free-speech rights as people try to persuade women not to end pregnancies. Owners of nearby shops and restaurants have complained about commotion outside Mississippi’s only abortion clinic, Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The Jackson ordinance prohibits people from protesting within 15 feet (5 metres) of any entrance to a health care facility. But, in 2014, the Supreme Court struck down a 2007 Massachusetts law that banned people from standing within 35 feet (11 metres) of an abortion clinic.

Source: thestar October 14, 2019 19:09 UTC