Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Abortion In The States: Mississippi's Heartbeat Bill Blocked By Judge; Suit Filed Against Alabama's New Law; Missouri Governor Signs 8-Week Ban
The Associated Press: 'Here We Go Again': Judge Blocks Mississippi Abortion Ban
A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked a Mississippi law that would ban most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, at about six weeks of pregnancy. "Here we go again," U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves wrote in his order. "Mississippi has passed another law banning abortions prior to viability." (Wagster Pettus, 5/24)
The New York Times: Federal Judge Blocks Mississippi Abortion Law
The law “threatens immediate harm to women’s rights” and “prevents a woman’s free choice, which is central to personal dignity and autonomy,” Judge Reeves wrote in his ruling. “This injury outweighs any interest the state might have in banning abortions after the detection of a fetal heartbeat.” The Mississippi law, which was to take effect on July 1, would have barred abortions once health care providers were able to detect the pulsing of what would become a fetus’s heart, which can be as early as six weeks into pregnancy. The law was just one of the year’s so-called fetal heartbeat bills that, supporters and critics alike said, would effectively ban abortions before many women even knew they were pregnant. (Blinder, 5/24)
The Wall Street Journal: Federal Judge Blocks Mississippi’s ‘Heartbeat’ Abortion Law
The preliminary injunction against Mississippi’s law had been expected. No court has ever allowed a state to enforce such a short gestational limit, and the same judge who ruled against the heartbeat bill on Friday also blocked an earlier enacted Mississippi law banning abortions at 15 weeks. A federal court in March also barred Kentucky from enforcing its heartbeat law. (Gershman and Holland, 5/24)
The Associated Press: Federal Lawsuit Filed To Block Alabama's New Abortion Ban
A federal lawsuit filed Friday asks a judge to block an Alabama law that outlaws almost all abortions, the most far-reaching attempt by a conservative state to seek new restrictions on the procedure. The American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood filed the lawsuit on behalf of abortion providers seeking to overturn the Alabama law that would make performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishable by up to 99 years or life in prison for the abortion provider. The only exception would be when the woman's health is at serious risk. (Chandler, 5/24)
The Washington Post: American Civil Liberties Union Sues Alabama Over Near-Total Abortion Ban
The lawsuit, filed in United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, sets off a chain of events that both sides say is likely to lead to a years-long court battle. State lawmakers have said they passed the law specifically to bring the case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, which they see as having the most antiabortion bench in decades. The bill was designed to challenge the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision by arguing that a fetus is a person and is therefore due full rights. (Cha and Wax-Thibodeaux, 5/24)
The Associated Press: Missouri Governor Signs Bill Banning Abortions At 8 Weeks
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Friday signed a bill that bans abortions on or beyond the eighth week of pregnancy without exceptions for cases of rape or incest, making it among the most restrictive abortion policies in the nation. (5/24)
Kansas City Star: Missouri GOP Governor Parson Signs Near-Total Abortion Ban
The bill would criminalize any abortion beyond eight weeks of pregnancy, except in cases of medical emergencies. Doctors who perform abortions after eight weeks face five to 15 years in prison. Now that it has been signed into law, the ban will go into effect Aug. 28 unless it is blocked by a court. It does not include any exemptions for victims of rape or incest, a fact that prompted Joplin businessman and GOP mega donor David Humphreys to publicly denounce the legislation on Thursday and demand Parson veto it. (Hancock, 5/24)
The New York Times: Missouri Governor Signs Bill Outlawing Abortion After 8 Weeks
The decision by Mr. Parson, a Republican, was not a surprise. It continued a season of legislative success for conservatives who oppose abortion and who see an opening to ultimately press their case to the Supreme Court. “I’m honored to lead a state with so many people committed to standing up for those without a voice, and commend the Legislature for getting this bill to my desk,” Mr. Parson said when lawmakers passed the abortion bill. He called it “a strong message to the nation that here in Missouri, we will always stand for life, protect women’s health and advocate for the unborn.” (Smith, 5/24)
KCUR: Missouri Governor Signs New Abortion Restrictions Over Objections Of Major GOP Donor
The governor’s office had been making arrangements for a public bill signing, according to communications director Steele Shippy, but severe weather and tornadoes changed those plans. “Our intent to sign the bill never changed, however, we made the decision and believed it was more important to ensure our office remained focused on assisting communities in the wake of disaster and facing widespread flooding,” he said. (Hunzinger and Rosenbaum, 5/24)
The Washington Post: Another Red State Could Soon Pass An Abortion Ban. Only This Time A Democrat Will Sign It Into Law.
If Gov. John Bel Edwards follows through on his pledge to sign a new abortion ban into Louisiana law, he’ll be just the latest executive from a deep red state to endorse such strict antiabortion legislation this year. Except Edwards differs from his Republican predecessors in one fundamental way: He’s a Democrat. Edwards, a Catholic Army veteran and first-term governor, is a high-profile member of a now-obscure class of politician: the “pro-life liberal.” As bills that ban abortions outright or after six weeks of pregnancy churn through statehouses across the country, his cohort has found itself the target of fierce criticism from fellow Democrats. (Thebault, 5/25)
The Associated Press: Democrats Advance Bill To Expand Illinois Abortion Rights
House Democrats in Illinois have advanced a measure to replace the state's abortion law with less restrictive language that gives people "a fundamental right" to make decisions about their reproductive health. The State Journal-Register reports a House committee approved the legislation late Sunday on a party-line vote, sending it to the House floor. All committee Republicans voted no. (5/27)
The Hill: Illinois House To Take Up Bill Loosening Abortion Restrictions
The legislation would repeal both the state's Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act and the Illinois Abortion Act of 1975. Repealing those two laws would lessen restrictions on abortions later in pregnancy and remove criminal penalties for physicians that perform them. (Rodrigo, 5/27)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Online Supplier Of Abortion Pills Defies FDA Order To Stop Providing Them In U.S.
As abortion becomes increasingly inaccessible in parts of this country, a Dutch physician is defying the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s order to quit providing abortion pills using the internet and the mail. The doctor, Rebecca Gomperts, has for years run Women on Web, a Netherlands-based nonprofit that ships mifepristone made in India to women in countries where abortion is illegal. Last summer, she launched Aid Access to provide the same pills to U.S. customers. (McCullough, 5/26)
Austin American-Statesman: Bill Banning Planned Parenthood Contracts Sent To Abbott
A bill to ban cities, counties and other local governments from doing business with Planned Parenthood is on its way to Gov. Greg Abbott. The Senate voted 20-11 Friday to approve a House-added amendment to Senate Bill 22, but only after the bill’s author changed her mind twice about how to proceed. (Lindell, 5/24)
Texas Tribune: Texas Passes Bill Banning Cities From Partnering With Planned Parenthood On Any Services
One of this session’s biggest anti-abortion bills, which would ban state and local governments from partnering with agencies that perform abortions even if they contract for services not related to the procedure, is headed to the governor’s desk. The Senate chamber agreed Friday with a change to Senate Bill 22 made in the House chamber. (Sundaram, 5/24)
