Nebraska abortion doctor moves practice after state ban

Nebraska abortion doctor moves practice after state ban

(Reuters) - A Nebraska doctor who has become the nation's best-known provider of late-term abortions said on Wednesday he will open clinics in other states because of a new law banning the procedure in his home state.

Dr. LeRoy Carhart said he plans to open abortion clinics in neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa, and outside Washington, D.C., in Maryland in the coming months.

Council Bluffs is across the Missouri River from his current practice in the Omaha suburb of Bellevue.

Nebraska's law that took effect October 15 banned abortions at 20 weeks after fertilization or later unless the woman's life was in danger or to prevent major physical problems.

The law has not been challenged yet, but Carhart said he is mulling a lawsuit. He said he wants to make sure medically indicated, late-term abortions are available to women.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AA05Z20101111