Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Abortion Ban Exemptions Don't Include Mental Crises In Some States
AP: Mental Crises Excluded From Some State Abortion Exemptions
Mental health advocates say there’s a cruel quirk in abortion bans in several states: There are exemptions for life-threatening emergencies, but psychiatric crises don’t count. It makes no sense to an Arizona mother of three who became suicidal during her fourth pregnancy and says an abortion saved her life. Or to researcher Kara Zivin, who nearly died from a suicide attempt in pregnancy and whose work suggests these crises are not uncommon. (Tanner, 11/17)
Vox: Anti-Abortion Groups Say The Midterm Elections Weren’t So Bad
When he was campaigning for governor of Minnesota, Scott Jensen first said he’d ban abortions with no exceptions for rape and incest. Later, he said the governor couldn’t do anything about abortion anyway, given Minnesota’s constitutional protections. Last weekend, in a 22-minute Facebook Live video reflecting on his bruising loss, he made a new argument. “This election was not about inflation, and crime and education...for so many Americans across the country this election was about an intrusion into a person’s autonomy,” he said, referring to abortion. “In the future I think the lesson is clear — at least it should be to Republicans. If you infringe on someone’s freedom, you may well lose. You’ll probably lose.” (Cohen, 11/17)
Dallas Morning News: Texas Bill Would Say A Fetus Can Legally Be A Second Passenger In HOV Lanes
State Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, is one of the Texas Legislature’s leading anti-abortionists. This week, he introduced House Bill 521 for the 2023 legislative session. The short bill states that a pregnant driver “is entitled to use any HOV lane in the state.” Although the language is unclear, I assume that means they won’t get a ticket. I tried to reach Cain but was unsuccessful. (Lieber, 11/17)
CNN: Texas Woman Almost Dies Because She Couldn't Get An Abortion
Another woman has come forward with the harrowing details of how the Supreme Court’s decision four months ago to overturn Roe v. Wade put her life in danger. CNN has told the stories of several women – including one from Houston, one from central Texas and one from Cleveland – and what they had to do to obtain medically necessary abortions. Now, a woman from Austin, Texas, has come forward because she nearly died when she couldn’t get a timely abortion. (Cohen and Bonifield, 11/16)
ProPublica: Inside An Anti-Abortion Meeting With Tennessee’s GOP Lawmakers
When state Sen. Richard Briggs voted “yes” on Tennessee’s total abortion ban, he never thought it would actually go into effect. It was 2019, and Roe v. Wade was the law of the land. His vote seemed like a political statement, not a decision that would soon impact people’s lives. But on Aug. 25, the ban, one of the strictest in the country, kicked in. It contains no explicit exceptions for circumstances under which the procedure would be allowed. Any doctor who performs an abortion in Tennessee faces a felony that carries penalties of up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to $10,000. (Surana, 11/15)
In global news about abortion —
ABC News: Malta Abortion Laws Eased After American Woman Almost Died
Malta announced Wednesday it is easing its abortion laws, becoming the last country in the European Union to end a total ban on the procedure. The Mediterranean nation, located off the coast of Sicily, does not allow women to receive an abortion, including in cases of rape or incest. ... The change was spurred after an American pregnant woman nearly died in the country because doctors refused to perform an abortion. (Kekatos, 11/17)
