Planned Parenthood renews 40-year battle against Nevada parental rights law

By Brittany Sheehan  

Nevada News and Views

A Clark County judge heard arguments Monday and will issue a written decision soon on whether to block Nevada’s parental notification law. Planned Parenthood wants District Court Judge Erika Mendoza to stop the 1985 law that requires doctors to tell parents before giving their teenager an abortion.

This is the latest twist in a 40-year battle. Federal courts blocked the law for decades. But after the Supreme Court threw out Roe v. Wade in 2022, everything changed. A federal judge finally let the law take effect in late July.

Now Planned Parenthood has filed a new lawsuit in Clark County. They want District Court Judge Erika Mendoza to block the law again. She heard arguments on Monday but hasn’t made her decision yet.

What the Law Actually Says

The 1985 law is pretty straightforward. It says doctors can’t do abortions on unmarried girls under 18 unless they tell a parent or guardian first. The girl can also ask a judge for permission instead of telling her parents.

Nevada Right to Life has been fighting for this law since day one.

When the law (finally) took effect in July, Melissa Clement, executive director of Nevada Right to Life, said: “This is a landmark moment for parents and children across Nevada “We refused to give up. We carried this fight alone for decades, and now parents will have a voice in decisions affecting their children’s lives.”

Clement argues that parents should be involved in any medical decision a girl should make, saying a young girl does not know what her blood type is or what medical issues she should be concerned about.

Why This Matters to Conservative Families

For conservatives who believe in limited government, this issue hits close to home. The government shouldn’t come between parents and their children. Parents have the right to know about major medical decisions involving their kids.

Think about it this way. Schools need permission slips for field trips. Kids need parental consent for aspirin at school. But in Nevada, a 10-year-old could get an abortion without her parents knowing. That doesn’t make sense to most families.

Clement told Life News: “For 40 years, young girls have been exploited in secrecy, their suffering ignored while those in power turned a blind eye. Today, that silence is broken. Parents will finally be involved, and protection will replace the neglect that allowed predators to thrive.”

How We Got Here

This story goes back four decades. Nevada passed the parental notification law in 1985. Before it could take effect, Planned Parenthood sued to stop it. They said it violated Roe v. Wade.

Federal courts agreed and blocked the law. It sat unused for 40 years while court battles continued. Then came 2022. The Supreme Court overturned Roe in the Dobbs decision.

Two rural district attorneys saw their chance. They argued that since Roe was gone, there was no reason to keep blocking Nevada’s law. In July 2025, Federal Judge Anne Traum agreed and lifted the block.

Melissa Clement from Nevada Right to Life was thrilled, tweeting: “So incredibly ecstatic about this news! We won in federal court and the 9th Circuit. Now Planned Parenthood is running to state court to try and make sure abusers, sex traffickers and abortionists don’t lose their profits and power.”

What Happened in Court

State lawyers argued that Planned Parenthood sued the wrong people. They should have sued the district attorneys who pushed to enforce the law, not just the state attorney general.

Jessica Whelan, an attorney for the state, said: “What this court would be doing by issuing a preliminary injunction would be to usurp the federal court’s decision that these laws are in effect.”

The state also pointed out something important. Nevada lawmakers have had two chances to change this law since Roe was overturned. They chose not to. That shows the Legislature supports keeping the law.

Planned Parenthood’s lawyer disagreed. Bradley Schrager, an attorney representing Planned Parenthood said: “Legislatures don’t get to enact unconstitutional laws, so that one day, they will rise from the dead.”

The Bigger Picture

Nevada isn’t alone in this fight. Many states have similar laws. According to Planned Parenthood’s own website, 12 states require parental notification for one parent. Ten more states require parental consent. Kansas and North Dakota require both parents to agree.

According to Gallup polling, seven in 10 Americans favor requiring parental consent for minors seeking abortions. The latest poll, conducted Nov. 11-13, finds 69 percent in favor and 28 percent opposed to such laws. That shows most people agree with common-sense protections for children.

What Comes Next

Judge Mendoza will issue a written decision soon. If she blocks the law, supporters will likely appeal. If she lets it stand, the law will keep working.

The fight for Nevada families isn’t over. But after 40 years, parents finally have a voice in their children’s most important medical decisions. That’s worth protecting.

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Brittany Sheehan is a Las Vegas-based mother, policy advocate and grassroots leader. She is active in local politics, successful in campaign work and passionate about liberty.