A US District Judge in two Southern states has temporarily halted a new federal mandate that would require employers to provide workers seeking elective abortions with time off to obtain and recover from the procedure. The judge's order partially blocked the rule set forth by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, stating that the agency had exceeded its authority granted by Congress in implementing the regulation.
The rule, which was scheduled to take effect on Tuesday, has been put on hold in Louisiana and Mississippi while the legal challenge from the states is ongoing. Additionally, the enforcement of the rule against four Catholic entities that filed a separate lawsuit has also been halted by the judge's order.
