Abortion ruling may impact GA, AL women's health regulation

COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) - A dramatic ruling Monday by the Supreme Court striking down controversial abortion restrictions in Texas may have an impact on the future of women's health in other states throughout the country, including Alabama and Georgia.

"It's significant because I know here in Georgia there was a significant amount of consideration modeling the law here to shadow the Texas law and now that it's overturned it is going to be hard for our state here to put those guidelines in place," says Kelly Tolman, Executive Director of Senaca Choices for Life in Columbus, GA.

Tolman says she opened her pro-life organization about a month ago next door to one of the 10 abortion clinics in the state of Georgia and the only one within 90 miles of Columbus and Phenix City.

Although she says she disagrees with the justices' ruling, she hopes legislators on both sides of the issue can focus on the well-being of women.

"I think we can have a middle ground where women's health, women's safety is number one," says Tolman.

Pro-choice advocates believe the 2013 Texas regulations that were shut down were deceptive and caused many abortion clinics throughout the state of Texas to close, limiting women's already scarce access to healthcare.

"Here in Columbus we also do not have that law. So our local abortion facility does not have to have admitting privileges which basically means if there is in an emergency situation that Doctor can not bring them to the Medial Center or Saint Francis and have that continuity of care that is necessary to take care of that woman," says Tolman.

We did reach out to the Director of the Columbus Abortion Clinic, but he was unavailable for comment.

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