NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge is set to hear opening statements in a lawsuit challenging Tennessee's 48-hour waiting period before abortions.
In Nashville, lawyers for five of the state's seven abortion clinics will try Monday to prove the law places an undue burden on women seeking abortions.
Tennessee is one of 14 states with laws requiring women to make two trips to an abortion clinic, first for mandatory counseling and then for the abortion.
Attorneys for the state say the waiting period benefits women by allowing them time to reflect on their decisions.
The clinics say there is little evidence of a benefit to women. They say in court papers that the law has forced some women into second trimester abortions, which have a greater chance of complications.
