Harris Will Be First Vice President To Visit An Abortion Clinic
Vice President Kamala Harris is set to visit and meet with abortion providers and staff members at a health center in Minneapolis, spotlighting an issue that Democrats will lean into during the 2024 election.
The New York Times:
Kamala Harris Will Visit Abortion Clinic, In Historic First
Vice President Kamala Harris plans to meet with abortion providers and staff members on Thursday in the Twin Cities, a visit that is believed to be the first stop by a president or vice president to an abortion clinic. Ms. Harris plans on Thursday to tour the center with an abortion provider and highlight what the administration has done to try to preserve access to the procedure as conservative states enact growing restrictions. Minnesota has become a haven for abortion seekers since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ushering in restrictive laws and bans in neighboring states. (Lerer and Nehamas, 3/13)
Missouri Independent:
Missourians Back Effort To Restore Abortion Rights, Poll Finds
A new poll shows plurality of Missourians support restoring abortion rights as they existed under Roe v. Wade, but a large undecided group holds the key to victory. (Keller, 3/13)
The 19th:
Morning-After Pills Handed Out At Olivia Rodrigo Concert In Missouri
The Missouri Abortion Fund distributed the morning-after pill and condoms to concertgoers during Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS tour Tuesday night in St. Louis. It was part of the pop star’s Fund 4 Good initiative focused on “building an equitable and just future for all women, girls, and people seeking reproductive health freedom.” (Gerson, 3/13)
Nebraska Public Media:
Nebraska Is Down To Two Clinics Providing Abortion Appointments In The State
The Planned Parenthood clinic in Omaha has been under construction since January. The center remains open to family planning patients, but all abortion appointments have been temporarily moved to the Lincoln location. That leaves just two clinics currently providing abortion services in Nebraska. (Rembert, 3/14)
The Guardian:
‘Idaho’s Seen As A War Zone’: The Lone Abortion Activist Defying Militias And The Far Right
Last January, Jen Jackson Quintano stepped into a theater in Sandpoint, a tiny city in northern Idaho, to debut a production that could best be described as The Vagina Monologues meets The Moth – a night of Idahoans sharing stories about their own reproductive agency. Quintano was nervous. Idaho, where Republicans outnumber Democrats five to one, has one of the most punitive abortion bans in the country. Further, Quintano lives in a region of the state that keeps making national headlines for bold displays of armed intimidation by militia, white supremacists, and Christian nationalists. This was not necessarily a safe place to talk about abortion. (Randall, 3/12)
KFF Health News:
Montana, An Island Of Abortion Access, Preps For Consequential Elections And Court Decisions
A years-long battle over abortion access in a sprawling and sparsely populated region of the U.S. may come to a head this year in the courts and at the ballot box. Challenges to several state laws designed to chip away at abortion access are pending in Montana courts. Meanwhile, abortion rights advocates are pushing a ballot initiative that would add extra protections to the state constitution. (Zionts, 3/14)
In updates on IVF —
The Hill:
New York Republican Becomes First GOP Member To Support Bill Protecting IVF
Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) announced Wednesday that he was cosponsoring a bill to protect access for in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments, becoming the first Republican to back the care. In a statement, Molinaro said he would be cosponsoring the Access to Family Building Act, with Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.). It had companion legislation introduced in the Senate by Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.). (Irwin, 3/13)
