Kentucky, Idaho Abortion Bans Halted Temporarily

CNN: Kentucky Governor Vetoes Ban On Most Abortions After 15 Weeks Of Pregnancy 
Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed a sweeping abortion bill Friday that would have banned most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, restricted access to medication abortion and made it more difficult for a minor to obtain an abortion in the state. House Bill 3 places a number of restrictions on drugs used in a medication abortion, such as mifepristone. Under the bill, the drug can’t be given to a patient without obtaining their “informed consent” at least 24 hours prior, which includes signing a document “created by the cabinet.” (Musa, 4/8)

The New York Times: Idaho Supreme Court Halts 6-Week Abortion Ban Based On Texas’ Law 
The Idaho Supreme Court on Friday temporarily blocked a law modeled after one in Texas that relies on ordinary citizens to enforce a ban on abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy as a way of sidestepping challenges to its constitutionality. The court’s order prevents the law, which would allow family members of what it calls “a preborn child” to sue the abortion provider, from going into effect until the court can further review it. The law was scheduled to go into effect on April 22, one month after Gov. Brad Little signed it. (Patel, 4/8)

The Guardian: Kentucky And Idaho Measures Severely Restricting Abortions Are Halted
Republicans have already sharply criticized Beshear’s veto on the legislature’s abortion ban, with state GOP spokesperson Sean Southard saying on Friday that the governor’s veto was “the latest action in his ideological war on the conservative values held by Kentuckians”. The bill will probably surface as an issue again next year when Beshear runs for a second term in Republican-trending Kentucky. Beshear condemned the bill for failing to exclude pregnancies caused by rape or incest. (Aratani, 4/9)

In abortion updates from Maryland —

NPR: Maryland Expands Who Can Perform Abortions After Overriding Hogan's Veto
Maryland lawmakers voted over the weekend to override Gov. Larry Hogan's veto of a bill that would allow health practitioners outside of physicians — including nurse practitioners, midwives and physician's assistants — to perform abortions. Maryland House members voted 90-46 on Saturday to reverse the governor's decision, while state Senate members voted 29-15. Hogan is a Republican, while the majority of both the state's chambers are Democrats. The bill will now become law and take effect on July 1. House Bill 937, known as the Abortion Care Access Act, says that "qualifying providers" include those whose medical licenses or certifications include the performance of abortions. (Archie, 4/11)

In updates from Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri —

Dallas Morning News: Charges Being Dropped Against Texas Woman Arrested For ‘Illegal Abortion’ In Rio Grande Valley
In a sudden turn of events, Starr County District Attorney Gocha Ramirez announced in a news release Sunday that his office is dismissing the indictment against Lizelle Herrera, who was arrested Thursday and charged with murder on accusations of a “self-induced abortion.” “The issues surrounding this matter are clearly contentious, however based on Texas law and the facts presented, it is not a criminal matter,” Ramirez said in a statement. (4/10)

The Washington Post: A Refuge For Texas Patients, Oklahoma Clinics Brace For Abortion Ban
The woman stared up at the ceiling, taking slow, deep breaths, as the doctor examined the flickering dot on the ultrasound screen. “What’s going on?” she asked .The gut-wrenching news came in two parts: The flickering was a sign of cardiac activity, which meant the woman could not get an abortion under Texas’ six-week ban. And while the doctor, Alan Braid, said he would refer her to a sister clinic in Oklahoma, where he has sent hundreds of other patients since the law took effect last year, she would need to hurry. Lawmakers there were close to passing a law just as strict as the one in Texas. The woman cried as the reality sank in. (Kitchener, 4/9)

Missouri Independent: With Few In-State Abortions, Missouri Lawmakers Look Toward A Post-Roe V. Wade Future 
As restrictions on accessing an abortion in Missouri have steadily tightened, nearly 9,800 Missourians travelled to Kansas and Illinois to receive abortions in 2020, compared to only 167 procedures that occurred within state lines that year. That number could drop even further if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion — causing a Missouri law to kick in that would ban the procedure except in medical emergencies. And after years of limiting access to abortion in Missouri, lawmakers are now eyeing policy for a world in which the constitutional protections for the procedure are no more. “Nationally, everybody is looking to a post-Roe world,” said Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold. “In Missouri, we’re almost already there.” (Weinberg, 4/9)

In other reproductive health news —

PBS NewsHour: The Lifesaving Potential Of Extending Postpartum Medicaid
Four out of 10 births in the U.S. are paid for by Medicaid, the public health insurance program that covers nearly 79 million people nationwide. Women who are normally disqualified from Medicaid because of an income cut-off but don’t make enough to afford other insurance are granted special eligibility during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, most people who gave birth under Medicaid lost their coverage 60 days after delivery, if they didn’t otherwise qualify to stay in the program. This is especially true in the 12 states that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. But when the Trump administration declared the coronavirus a public health emergency, people on Medicaid received continuous coverage, so they did not have to worry about re-enrolling or potentially losing their health insurance in the middle of the pandemic. (Santhanham, 4/8)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: ‘The Time Is Now’: Birth Center And Postpartum Retreat To Open In Ferguson 
The founder and director of Jamaa Birth Village in Ferguson began seven years ago working to improve maternity care and address the disparate health outcomes for Black families in the St. Louis region. That effort has grown from struggling moms meeting in her living room to last week purchasing land to build a new birth center and postpartum retreat in Ferguson. Okunsola M. Amadou will officially announce plans for construction of the 5,000-square-foot facility at a news conference Monday before supporters and officials representing the city of Ferguson, St. Louis and St. Louis County. After it opens, women will be able to give birth in one of the center’s three birthing suites under care of a midwife, and they can continue to receive care after delivering their babies in four to six villas built around the center. (Munz, 4/10)