Arizona Judge Refuses to Block New Abortion Regulations

East Valley Tribue: Judge won't block new Arizona abortion restrictions, by Howard Fischer:

A judge refused late Wednesday to block the state from enforcing new regulations this coming week that an attorney for the state's largest abortion provider said will impair the ability of women to terminate their pregnancy.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Donald Daughton said Planned Parenthood Arizona waited too long before asking him to bar the Department of Health Services from enforcing a new rule to prohibit anyone other than a doctor from performing various medical procedures before or after an abortion.

He pointed out the state approved the new rules at the end of April. But Daughton noted that Planned Parenthood did not file its legal papers until Oct. 14 -- and the rules are set to take effect Monday. . . .