Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Abortion Rights Supported By Midterm Voters In 5 States
The Hill: Voters Support Abortion Rights In All Five States With Ballot Measures
Voters in California, Vermont and Michigan on Tuesday approved ballot measures enshrining abortion rights into their state constitutions, while those in traditional red states Montana and Kentucky rejected measures that would have restricted access to reproductive care. The votes signal strength to effort to support abortion rights after the Supreme Court in June ruled to overturn the landmark 1973 case Roe v. Wade and the constitutional right to the procedure. (Dress, 11/9)
The Guardian: US States Vote To Protect Reproductive Rights In Rebuke To Anti-Abortion Push
Voters in multiple states passed measures to enshrine the right to abortion during Tuesday’s midterm elections, delivering a rebuke to the crackdown on reproductive freedoms taking place across the US. (Noor and Cannon, 11/9)
The Wall Street Journal: Abortion-Rights Supporters Prevail In Midterm Ballot Measures
The midterm elections provided the first national temperature-taking on voter attitudes toward abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in late June, ending federal constitutional protections for the procedure. The decision returned abortion policy to the states, creating a host of new battlegrounds. (Kusisto and Calfas, 11/9)
More on the results from Vermont, California, and Michigan —
VTDigger: Vermont Becomes The 1st State To Enshrine Abortion Rights In Its Constitution
Vermont’s founding document will now be appended with a 22nd article, which will read in full: “That an individual’s right to personal reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity to determine one’s own life course and shall not be denied or infringed unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.” (Duffort, 11/8)
Los Angeles Times: Californians Vote To Protect Abortion Rights With Prop. 1
“Today we sent a loud clear message to those who think they can control our bodies,” said Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), who authored the bill that placed Proposition 1 on the ballot. “In California, we will not go backwards.” (Gutierrez, 11/8)
Detroit Free Press: Proposal 3: Michigan Voters Approve Abortion Rights Measure
"Today, the people of Michigan voted to restore the reproductive rights they’ve had for 50 years,” said Darci McConnell, communication director for Reproductive Freedom for All, the group behind Proposal 3. "Proposal 3's passage marks an historic victory for abortion access in our state and in our country — and Michigan has paved the way for future efforts to restore the rights and protections of Roe v. Wade nationwide." (Hendrickson, 11/9)
Anti-abortion measures in Kentucky and Montana appear headed for a loss —
BBC News: Abortion Election Results: Kentucky Poised For Pro-Choice Win
Abortion advocates in Kentucky are poised for an underdog victory, as the final votes are counted in a state referendum on an anti-abortion measure. ... However, the expected result won't automatically reverse the state's current legislation, which almost entirely prohibits abortion. (11/9)
The New York Times: Live Results: Montana Born-Alive Infants Regulation
The measure would enact a law making any infant “born alive” at any gestational age a legal person, a protection that already exists under a federal law passed 20 years ago. It would criminalize health care providers who do not make every effort to save the life of an infant “born during an attempted abortion” or after labor or C-section. Doctors say they are concerned that the law will limit palliative care for infants who are born but will not survive. (11/9)
