Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
20 Democratic Governors Move To Protect Abortion Rights
Axios: 20 Dem Governors Form Coalition To Protect Abortion Access
A group of 20 Democratic members on Tuesday announced they are forming a coalition to protect and expand abortion access in their states as bans continue to be enacted following the fall of Roe v. Wade. (Gonzalez, 2/21)
AP: Democratic Governors Form Alliance On Abortion Rights
Organizers, led by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, described the Reproductive Freedom Alliance as a way for governors and their staffs to share best practices and affirm abortion rights for the approximately 170 million Americans who live in the consortium’s footprint — and even ensuring services for the remainder of U.S. residents who live in states with more restrictive laws. (Barrow and Mulvihill, 2/21)
The Boston Globe: With Abortion Under Attack Nationwide, Healey Joins 19 Other Governors In Effort To Shore Up State Protections
Amid attacks on abortion access and other forms of reproductive care across the country, Governor Maura Healey will join 19 other governors to share ideas on how to reinforce reproductive freedoms in their own states. The multistate group, the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, is being formed eight months after the Supreme Court eliminated the constitutional right to an abortion, resulting in millions of Americans losing access to the procedure. (Gross, 2/21)
In news on abortion rights in Ohio, New Mexico —
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Ohio Abortion-Rights Campaign Unveils Ballot Proposal In First Official Step For Possible Statewide November Vote
A proposed amendment to the state constitution would give Ohioans an individual right to abortion modeled after a successful ballot initiative that last year enshrined abortion rights into Michigan’s state constitution. Backers call the amendment the “Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety,” according to a written summary they filed Tuesday afternoon with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. (Tobias, 2/21)
The Wall Street Journal: Ohio Abortion-Rights Coalition Begins Push For Constitutional Amendment
An effort to place a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights on the ballot is brewing in Ohio. Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom and Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights filed paperwork with the state’s attorney general Tuesday in one of its first steps to try to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. (Calfas, 2/21)
Albuquerque Journal: House Endorses Proposal Intended To Strengthen Abortion Rights In New Mexico
Legislation adopted by the state House late Tuesday would prohibit cities and public schools in New Mexico from interfering with a person’s access to abortion or gender-affirming care. The proposal, House Bill 7, now advances to the Senate, following an intense, three-hour debate that touched on the rights of teachers, parents and children. (McKay, 2/21)
Meanwhile, on other abortion-related news across the country —
Reuters: U.S. Groups Suing To Ban Abortion Pill Lose Bid For Early Trial
A Texas federal judge on Tuesday refused to set an accelerated trial schedule for a lawsuit by anti-abortion groups seeking to end U.S. sales of the abortion pill mifepristone, in a case that could severely disrupt access to medication abortion nationwide. (Pierson, 2/22)
AP: NC GOP Lawmakers Seek To Defend Abortion Pill Restrictions
North Carolina Republican legislative leaders asked on Tuesday to participate in litigation to defend state restrictions on dispensing abortion pills because Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein has made clear he won’t. Lawyers for Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore filed papers in federal court asking to enter the case as new defendants, saying someone must be in place to rigorously defend state abortion laws. (Robertson, 2/21)
WUSF Public Media: Out-Of-State Patients Fuel An Increase In Abortions In Florida
More people got abortions in Florida last year despite the state's decision to ban the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with people traveling from out of state largely fueling the increase. Agency for Health Care Administration data shows 82,192 people got abortions in Florida in 2022, up from 79,817 in 2021. Of those, 6,708 people came from out-of-state, a 38% increase from the year before. (Colombini, 2/21)
