Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Focus On Women's Shrinking Abortion Options In Florida After Ruling
The Washington Post: Abortion Ruling By Florida Supreme Court Leaves Women With Few Options
More than 80,000 women get an abortion in Florida in a typical year — accounting for about 1 in 12 abortions in the country. Now, most of those women will need to find somewhere else to go. With the Florida Supreme Court’s decision Monday night upholding an existing 15-week ban and allowing a strict new six-week ban to take effect in 30 days, the court has cut off nearly all abortion access across the South, where all other states have either implemented similar bans or outlawed abortion entirely since Roe v. Wade was overturned. (Kitchener, 4/2)
NPR: Florida Voters To Decide Abortion Rights
"Floridians now face a near-total abortion ban," says state House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskall. Driskall blames former President Donald Trump for creating the atmosphere that allowed the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, saying that led to the Florida Supreme Court's decision that "threatens the health and lives of women in Florida and across the South." The six-week ban is set to go into effect in May. (McCarthy, 4/3)
Tampa Bay Times: Florida Clinics To Help Women Travel Out Of State Due To 6-Week Abortion Ban
It’s a nearly 10-hour car drive from Tampa to a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Wilmington, North Carolina. By plane, it’ll take about two hours to fly to the Washington, D.C., area — then another 20 minutes to drive to an abortion provider in Virginia. (O'Donnell and Ogozalek, 4/3)
The New York Times: Biden Assails ‘Outrageous’ Florida Abortion Ruling As His Campaign Blames Trump
President Biden on Tuesday called a decision by the Florida Supreme Court to uphold a restrictive abortion law “outrageous” and “extreme,” saying that it had effectively eliminated access to the procedure across the American South. The president said in a statement that the restrictions in Florida and others enacted by Republicans across the country “are putting the health and lives of millions of women at risk.” (Rogers, 4/2)
The New York Times: Florida’s Abortion Ballot Question Presents An Opportunity For Democrats
The nation’s third-largest state, once the biggest battleground in presidential politics, has become less important as its election results have trended repeatedly toward the political right. Few consider it a true swing state anymore.But three rulings from the Florida Supreme Court on abortion and marijuana, released on Monday, may inject new life into Democratic campaigns before the general election on Nov. 6. (Mazzei, 4/2)
In other abortion news —
The Hill: Backers Of Arizona Abortion Amendment Say They Have Signatures For Ballot
Groups working to enshrine abortion rights in Arizona’s constitution said Tuesday they have collected enough signatures to put the amendment on the ballot in November. Arizona for Abortion Access — a coalition of organizations including the ACLU of Arizona, Reproductive Freedom for All Arizona and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona — announced they have so far collected more than 500,000 voter signatures, with more than three months left until the July 3 submission deadline. (Weixel, 4/2)
St. Louis Public Radio: Planned Parenthood Now Can Sedate Patients During IUD Insertion
Health workers at Planned Parenthood’s Fairview Heights clinic this week began offering patients sedation before they undergo procedures to insert intrauterine devices, which are placed in the uterus to prevent pregnancy. The devices have been used for decades, but many patients describe waves of pain when a nurse or doctor inserts them. Patients have long endured the uncomfortable procedure, but providers are now considering offering women the option of sedation to make the insertion less unpleasant. (Fentem, 4/2)
The Hill: Democratic Senator Eyeing Bill To Repeal Comstock Act
Congressional Democrats are strategizing over legislation to repeal the Comstock Act, the 19th century anti-vice law that’s being eyed by conservative activists to potentially enact a national abortion ban. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said in a New York Times op-ed Tuesday that she wants to introduce a bill “to take away the Comstock Act as a tool to limit reproductive freedom.” (Weixel, 4/2)
The New York Times: Trump Will Address Abortion Issue Next Week, He Says
Donald J. Trump, appearing in two crucial swing states on Tuesday, avoided discussing abortion but teased that he would address the issue “next week,” once again demurring on taking a clear position on the issue after two Florida Supreme Court rulings shook up the 2024 campaign in the former president’s home state. (Cameron, 4/2)
