Opinion ID: 2676869
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Challenge to the Arizona Law

Text: There are currently ten abortion providers in Arizona, located in three of the state’s fifteen counties. Planned Parenthood Arizona, Inc. (“PPAZ”), provides abortions at its clinics in Glendale, Tempe, Tucson, and Flagstaff. PPAZ performs medication abortions according to the evidencebased regimen. The Glendale, Tempe, and Tucson clinics provide both surgical and medication abortions. The Flagstaff clinic provides only medication abortions. PPAZ’s Flagstaff clinic is the only abortion provider in northern Arizona. The next closest provider is in Glendale, which is located, on average, 160 miles from locations in northern Arizona; it is 372 miles away from some locations. In 2013, PPAZ provided 6,667 abortions for women through 63 days LMP. Thirty-eight percent were medication abortions. Twenty-six percent of these medication abortions occurred after 49 days LMP. Because they occurred after 49 days LMP, such abortions would not have been available if PPAZ had been required to follow the on-label regimen. PPAZ’s Flagstaff clinic used to provide medication abortions through an advanced practice clinician instead of a doctor, but Arizona banned that practice in 2011. The Flagstaff clinic could not provide abortions of any kind until 12 PLANNED PARENTHOOD ARIZONA V. HUMBLE February 2014, when it found a doctor to perform medication abortions. During the period when the Flagstaff clinic could not perform abortions, significantly fewer women in northern Arizona obtained abortions than before 2011. Dr. Richardson owns and operates Tucson Women’s Center, where he provides surgical and medication abortions. Dr. Richardson performs medication abortions according to the evidence-based regimen. In 2013, he provided abortions to 932 women, 660 of whom were nine weeks pregnant (63 days LMP) or less. Of those 660 women, 43 percent chose medication abortion. PPAZ, Dr. Richardson, and Tucson Women’s Center sued Director Humble in his official capacity, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against the Arizona law. For convenience, we refer to the defendant as “Arizona.” Plaintiffs brought their claims on behalf of themselves, their patients, and the physicians they employ. See Isaacson v. Horne, 716 F.3d 1213, 1221 (9th Cir. 2012), cert. denied, 134 S. Ct. 905 (2014). Plaintiffs moved for a preliminary injunction, asserting that the Arizona law is unconstitutionally vague, violates women’s fundamental rights to abortion and bodily integrity, and violates equal protection. The district court denied the motion. It found that the evidence-based regimen “is considered the best practices,” and that Arizona had not presented any evidence to support its legislative findings or to show that the law actually advances women’s health. It treated these findings as legally irrelevant. It held that the Arizona law is not vague and does not violate equal protection or a woman’s right to bodily integrity. It held further that the law rationally advances Arizona’s interest in women’s health and does not PLANNED PARENTHOOD ARIZONA V. HUMBLE 13 impose an undue burden on Arizona women’s right to abortion. Plaintiffs timely appealed and filed an emergency motion for an injunction pending appeal. A motions panel of this court enjoined enforcement of the Arizona law pending appeal and expedited the appeal. See Planned Parenthood of Ariz., Inc. v. Humble, No. 14-15624 (9th Cir. Apr. 8, 2014) (order granting emergency injunction).