Nebraska abortion doctor to open new clinics

A Nebraska abortion doctor says he plans to open new clinics in Indiana, Iowa and near Washington, D.C.

Dr. LeRoy Carhart says that Nebraska's new restrictions on abortions are forcing his hand. The new law bans abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy based on the idea of fetal pain. That's a departure from the standard of viability that was generally considered to be between 22 and 24 weeks.  This was established by the 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade.

Carhart says the first new clinic will be in suburban Maryland, near the U.S. capital. His second is planned for Council Bluffs, Iowa, just across the Missouri River from Omaha. The third would be in Indianapolis, replacing services of an existing clinic.