Oklahoma abortion clinic takes on ‘physicians only’ laws

(AP) An Oklahoma City abortion clinic is challenging longstanding laws that allow only physicians to perform abortions in Oklahoma, marking the sixth time in the past five years that the state’s abortion restrictions have ended up in court

In the lawsuit filed Friday in Oklahoma County, the Trust Women clinic alleges the “physician-only” laws are unconstitutional because they restrict women’s access to abortion without any valid medical basis.

Attorneys for the clinic argue nurse practitioners are fully capable of providing both medication and aspiration abortions, which figures show accounted for nearly 90% of the roughly 5,000 abortions performed in Oklahoma last year.

Oklahomans for Life Chairman Tony Lauinger says abortion rights groups are trying to use the state’s judiciary to thwart the will of the Legislature and the people.