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San Francisco • A federal appeals court questioned the constitutionality of the nation's strictest restrictions on the use of abortion drugs, a month after putting the Arizona rules on hold.
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals appeared poised Tuesday to continue blocking the regulations. The court issued an injunction in April and heard arguments on the case Tuesday.
The rules ban women from taking the most common abortion-inducing drug after the seventh week of pregnancy. Women had been allowed to take the abortion pill through their ninth week.
Judge Susan Graber said she was concerned that the restrictions appeared to be a pretext to limit abortions in Arizona.
Arizona Solicitor General Robert Ellman denied the claim and argued the regulations were put in place to protect women's health.