An Anchorage judge has approved a temporary restraining order on the state's new rules further defining a medically necessary abortion for purposes of Medicaid funding.
Judge John Suddock approved the order Tuesday at the request of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest, which has sued the state.
A status hearing is planned on Friday.
The lawsuit was filed in Anchorage Superior Court last week, and it seeks to have the regulations struck down as unconstitutional.
The lawsuit alleges the regulations violate the rights to equal protection, privacy and health and are also a violation of the administrative procedure act. The lawsuit says the department violated the act by not holding a public hearing on the proposal.
Anchorage