The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed appeals from two states which sought to impose restrictions on abortion clinics that were struck down by lower courts.
The justices refused to hear appeals about laws in Mississippi and Wisconsin that would have required physicians who perform abortions at clinics to have admitting privileges at local hospitals.
The high court denied the appeals one day after it struck down a similar provision in Texas.
The denial allows Mississippi's only abortion clinic, located in the capitol city of Jackson, to remain open.
The Supreme Court also rejected an appeal by pharmacists in Washington state who are opposed to providing emergency contraceptives to women for religious reasons. The rejection leaves in place a July lower court ruling that upheld a state regulation that requires pharmacies to deliver all prescribed medications in a timely fashion.
Washington state first adopted the regulation in 2007 after some women had been denied access to emergency contraceptives. Two pharmacists at a pharmacy in Olympia, Washington sued, saying the rule required them to violate their religious beliefs.
Some material for this report came from AP and Reuters.