A federal judge temporarily blocked Georgia’s restrictive abortion law that was set to be implemented in the new year, the Associated Press reports. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled that the current laws governing abortion will remain in place for the time being while a constitutional challenge to the law—filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood, and the Center for Reproductive Rights earlier this year–continues to proceed. Earlier this year, Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law that would ban abortions in the state if they occurred after a fetal heartbeat was detected—which often occurs at eight weeks, before many women know they are expecting. It was scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1. “Despite today’s outcome, we remain confident in our position,” a Kemp spokeswoman told the AP. “We will continue to fight for the unborn and work to ensure that all Georgians have the opportunity to live, grow, and prosper.”
