Montana Judge Blocks Enforcement of 15-Week Abortion Restriction

Montana Free Press

A Helena district court judge on Thursday blocked Montana from enforcing a new law that bans the most common abortion procedure after roughly 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The Republican-sponsored House Bill 721 was signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte Tuesday and took effect immediately — a feature not included in the abortion restrictions passed in 2021 that were eventually enjoined while litigation continues.

Planned Parenthood of Montana, one of the abortion providers affected by the new law, filed a motion for a temporary restraining order about two hours after the governor’s office announced he had signed the bill. It was the group’s second attempt to block the law — the first motion, filed in April after the bill passed both chambers of the Legislature but before it was signed by the governor — was denied by a district court judge for being premature.

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