Abortion rights advocates had cause to celebrate last Tueday as they managed to save Jackson Women's Health Organization, the last abortion clinic in Mississippi. 

A federal appeals court blocked a law which stated that physicians who had associations with abortion clinics would have to have admitting privileges in local hospitals. However, all seven hospitals in Jackson, Mississippi refused admitting privileges to said physicians.

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State officials countered that if that was the case, women who were seeking abortion services had to go out of state.

The US 5^th Circuit Court, composed of three members, ruled 2 to 1 that Mississippi cannot simply give its constitutional responsibilities to neighboring states. The majority believe that by closing down the abortion clinic, women who had a right to choose abortion would be burdened with having to go out of state.

Earlier this year, the same appeals court allowed a similar law to stand in Texas. Laws of the same context are also in place in states such as Kansas and North Dakota.

Matthew Steffey, a professor at the Mississippi College School of Law, shared that the difference between Mississippi and other states is that if the law was not blocked, it would be closing down the last remaining abortion clinic in Mississippi.

Jan Schaefer, a spokeswoman for the Mississippi Attorney General, wrote in an email that they are still reviewing the ruling and looking for other alternatives should it be overturned.

However, in Steffey's opinion, the clinic will stay open and the law will remain blocked.

"I think it's essentially game over at this point," he shared.

Passed in 2012, the law was a confusing mix of anti-abortion prerogatives set by conservatives. The sanctions included requiring admitting privileges, and banning abortion if the woman was 20 weeks pregnant.

Although legislators prefer to do away with abortion in its entirety, due to public clamor and opinion, they said they could at least create bills that would make abortion safer for women.

In September, a Louisiana law restricting certain aspects of abortion will still go forward as planned despite the Mississippi ruling.

Tagsmississippi abortion clinic, jackson abortion clinic, mississippi last abortion clinic