From The State Capitols: Lawmakers Debate Abortion Bans; ‘Reversal Bill’ Fails In Kansas; Measure Arming Teachers Clears Hurdle; And More
After several states have passed bills banning abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, Alabama's House passed a bill outlawing abortions unless a woman's health is at serious risk. In other states, legislation looks at late-term abortions, medical abortions, arming teachers, children's mental health, sidelining bills and more.
WBUR:
Alabama Lawmakers Move To Outlaw Abortion In Challenge To Roe V. Wade
In what would likely become the most restrictive abortion ban in the country, the Alabama House Tuesday passed a bill that would make it a crime for doctors to perform abortions at any stage of a pregnancy, unless a woman's life is threatened. The legislation is part of a broader anti-abortion strategy to prompt the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider the right to abortion. (Elliott, 5/1)
Pioneer Press:
Minnesota Senate Spars Over Late-Term Abortion, ‘Gay Conversion Therapy’
Minnesota’s GOP-controlled Senate debated bans on late-term abortion and “gay conversion therapy” before passing a two-year, $14 billion health and human services budget early Wednesday. The Senate voted to ban abortions after 20 weeks unless the mother is at risk of death or serious harm. The provision is intended to protect a fetus once it can feel pain. (Magan, 5/1)
The Associated Press:
Kansas Lawmakers Fail To Override Abortion 'Reversal' Veto
Republican lawmakers in Kansas narrowly failed Wednesday to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of a bill requiring abortion providers to tell patients about a disputed treatment to stop a medication abortion after it's been started. It was a second major loss in less than a week for abortion opponents in a state where they became accustomed to enacting new restrictions easily under Kelly's conservative GOP predecessors before she took office in January. (5/1)
Miami Herald:
Teachers Can Carry Guns Under Bill Approved By FL Lawmakers
After about seven hours of angry, sometimes deeply painful debate about race and gun violence that spanned two days, the Florida House passed a bill Wednesday that would allow classroom teachers to be armed, expanding a program lawmakers created last year after the Parkland shooting. The debate reached emotional heights that had Democrats shouting or tearing up as black lawmakers delved into details about their personal experiences with racism and their deep-seated fears about minority children being targeted by teachers who have guns. (Mahoney, 5/1)
Miami Herald:
Protesters Disrupt FL House Session Over Criminal Justice
About a dozen groups protesting “anti-civil rights” bills on topics from immigration to school vouchers to restoration of felons’ voting rights briefly halted a House floor session Wednesday afternoon. As the House took up a bill to create a state hemp program in Florida, two groups of protesters unfurled banners in the public galleries above the chamber and shouted at the lawmakers below. They were forcefully removed by the House sergeants. (Gross and Koh, 5/1)
Iowa Public Radio:
Children's Mental Health System Signed Into Law
Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a law (HF690) laying the groundwork for the state’s first comprehensive mental health system for children. It initially requires the state’s mental health regions to determine how to fix gaps in existing programs, although they won’t receive extra money this year to make changes. (Gerlock, 5/1)
KQED:
How Powerful Lawmakers Are Killing California Bills — Without A Peep
Under a rule the California Assembly put in place at the start of the current session, committee chairs can decide whether to bring a bill assigned to their committee up for consideration. As key deadlines came and went this month for bills to move out of committee, chairs used the new power to quash bills by just not scheduling them for a public hearing.No hearing, no debate, no vote. (Rosenhall, 5/1)
State House News Service:
Consent Laws Fail To Protect Patients And Detainees, Lawmakers Say
Warning that existing state law leaves dangerous loopholes, some lawmakers are pushing to crack down on cases of sexual assault involving medical and law enforcement professionals that they say misuse consent. Several bills on the topic contributed to a packed agenda at Tuesday's Joint Committee on the Judiciary hearing, where sponsors argued that further action is needed to punish abusers who exploit their professional status to take advantage of victims. (Lisinski, 5/1)
