WASHINGTON—The U.S. Supreme Court today struck down a Louisiana law that required abortionists to have the same local hospital admitting privileges as those of health providers in the state.

Heritage Foundation President Kay C. James offered the following response:

“It’s profoundly disappointing that the Supreme Court has once again failed to uphold a commonsense law that protects women. By agreeing to a result that he said was wrong just four years ago, Chief Justice Roberts and the four liberal members of the Court have struck down a law and signaled to abortionists that not only are they exempt from the most basic medical standards and safety requirements, but that the abortion industry’s bottom line is more important than women’s health and safety.”

Charmaine Yoest, vice president for Heritage’s Institute for Family, Community, and Opportunity, added:

“The Louisiana law protected women from abortionists that have gotten away with endangering women’s health for too long. June Medical Services has a history of health violations—from reusing single-use equipment and failing to maintain a sterile environment to having noncertified people administer narcotics to patients—that would unnerve any patient seeking routine medical care.

“It’s also disappointing that the court continues the status quo that allows abortionists to bring lawsuits claiming to represent the interests of women seeking abortions. If women want to challenge abortion regulations, they are free to do so. The self-serving abortion industry shouldn’t be able to claim to represent women’s best interests while simultaneously seeking to eliminate health protections for those women.”