Lawsuit: Mississippi abortion ban might not be valid yet

By MICHAEL GOLDBERG
Associated Press/Report for America

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A group of anti-abortion doctors in Mississippi say the validity of the state’s law banning most abortions remains uncertain. The doctors argue in a lawsuit filed Monday that another legal victory is required to clarify the ban and protect them from possible punishment by medical institutions. The Mississippi Justice Institute filed the lawsuit on behalf of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists against the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure and its executive director, Dr. Kenneth Cleveland. The lawsuit argues that while the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the state Supreme Court must overturn its 1998 opinion holding that abortion is a right protected by the Mississippi Constitution.