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Attorney General will appeal the temporary pause on Montana’s new abortion laws

 Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen
Courtesy
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen plans to ask the state Supreme Court to overturn a temporary block on three laws restricting abortion. Knudsen filed a notice of intent Tuesday to appeal the pause on the laws while they’re litigated in court.

The filing comes after a Yellowstone County judge approved Planned Parenthood of Montana’s request to temporarily stop the anti-abortion laws passed by the Republican-led Legislature and signed into law earlier this year. The organization says the laws “create unnecessary barriers to health care” and violate privacy rights.

The laws ban abortion at 20 weeks, mandate providers offer ultrasounds before abortions and restrict access to medication abortions.

Emilee Cantrell, a spokesperson for Knudsen, has said stopping the laws from going into effect prevents “common sense health protections.”

Copyright 2021 Montana Public Radio. To see more, visit Montana Public Radio.

Freddy Monares
Freddy Monares is a reporter and Morning Edition host at Montana Public Radio. He previously worked for the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, covered the 2017 Legislature for UM Legislative News Service and interned with the station as a student. He graduated from the University of Montana School of Journalism in 2017.