A state District Court judge on Tuesday put the brakes on several new abortion restrictions in Montana, including laws to tighten requirements for medically necessary abortions covered by Medicaid, require ultrasounds and ban the most commonly used procedure to terminate pregnancies in the second trimester.

In an oral ruling following a four-hour hearing in Lewis and Clark County District Court, Judge Mike Menahan granted preliminary injunctions against four bills recently signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte. All four were passed by GOP lawmakers during the legislative session that ended earlier this month, and subsequently challenged in a pair of lawsuits filed by plaintiffs including Planned Parenthood of Montana, the Center for Reproductive Rights, Blue Mountain Clinic, All Families Healthcare and the American Civil Liberties Union Montana.

Defendants in the two lawsuits included the Department of Public Health and Human Services, department director Charlie Brereton and Attorney General Austin Knudsen.