Washington (CNN) Another divisive abortion case is before the Supreme Court, as supporters of abortion rights are asking the justices to permanently block a Louisiana law that critics say would decimate access to safe and legal abortions in the state.

A federal appeals court upheld the law last fall but in February, Chief Justice John Roberts sided with his four liberal colleagues to put the law on hold until all nine justices could consider whether to take up the case. The law requires doctors to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the facility where the abortion is performed.

It is almost identical to a Texas law that the Supreme Court struck down in 2016. But that was when there were only eight justices, including Justice Anthony Kennedy, who retired last year. Since that decision, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh have joined the bench, and emboldened conservative states and anti-abortion rights interest groups who are hopeful that they will vote to further restrict abortion rights.

The new petition comes as the justices have also been considering -- for weeks -- whether to revive a challenge to an Indiana abortion law that has never been allowed to go into effect.

Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, whose group filed Wednesday's petition, told reporters that the Louisiana law was "modeled after" the Texas law and that the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals "blatantly disregarded" Supreme Court precedent in upholding it. In its petition, the group asked the court to either take up the case for next term, or simply reverse the appeals court opinion without holding oral arguments.

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