Citing ‘Personal Autonomy,’ Kansas High Court Affirms Right To Abortion
Providers may perform dilation and extraction procedure as allowed under the state's constitution, the court ruled. Meanwhile, a ballot measure to enshrine abortion rights in Arkansas is gaining momentum after groups supporting it collected enough signatures to make the November ballot.
Reuters:
Kansas' Top Court Rejects Ban On Common Abortion Procedure
Kansas' highest court on Friday permanently barred the state from enforcing a law banning the most common second-trimester abortion procedure, saying the ban violated the right to abortion under the state constitution that the court had recognized in 2019. The 5-1 ruling from the Kansas Supreme Court, with one of the seven justices not participating, leaves in place a lower court order blocking the law, which banned a procedure known as dilation and extraction with a narrow exception for medical emergencies. (Pierson, 7/5)
NBC News:
Arkansas Abortion Rights Groups Collect Enough Signatures To Advance Ballot Measure
A proposed amendment to enshrine access to abortion care in the Arkansas state constitution got one step closer to appearing on the November 2024 ballot, after the group behind it submitted the required number of valid signatures on Friday. Arkansans for Limited Government, the group leading the ballot effort, said it had collected the signatures of more than 100,000 registered voters — more than the approximately 90,700 it needed to submit before a July 5 deadline to move forward with the process of getting their proposal on the ballot. (Edelman, 7/5)
CBS News:
Report Shows Reduced Number Of Abortions Performed In Florida Since New Law Started
With a law taking effect May 1 that prevents abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, a new report gives an initial picture of the reduced number of abortions being performed in Florida. The report, posted online by the state Agency for Health Care Administration, is dated July 1 and said 36,221 abortions had been performed in Florida in 2024. That was up from a total of 32,081 abortions included in a monthly report dated June 3. (7/7)
Also —
Fox News:
Taxpayer-Funded Planned Parenthood Boasts About Being Leader In Transgender Medical Procedures
Abortion provider Planned Parenthood now describes itself as one of the leading national providers of transgender medical interventions, but has been criticized by a top Republican for being "opaque" in how it discloses it in its annual reports. In 2023, a Pennsylvania chapter of the nonprofit said, "Providing gender-affirming care services aligns with our mission of enabling all people to make empowered, informed decisions about their bodies and lives. Nationally, Planned Parenthood is the second-largest provider of hormone therapy." (Grossman, Lencki and Cuebas-Fantauzzi, 7/6)
KFF Health News:
Listen: How The End Of ‘Roe’ Is Reshaping The Medical Workforce
It’s been two years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, triggering a parade of restrictions and bans in conservative-led states. But the impact of those restrictions has bled into the world of medical education, forcing some new doctors to factor state abortion laws into their decisions about where to begin their careers. (Rovner, 7/8)
