Abortion ‘Trigger’ Bans Set To Take Effect In Tennessee, Idaho, Texas
News outlets report on the stricter abortion laws that are about to be enacted in those states, barring judicial action.
NPR:
3 More States Are Poised To Enact Abortion Trigger Bans This Week
A number of states have codified abortion bans without the use of a trigger law. So far, a total of 14 states have near-total abortion bans or bans after six weeks of pregnancy. Barring any last-minute court intervention, three of those states are expected to implement even more draconian laws starting Aug. 25. (Kim, 8/22)
The Washington Post:
More Trigger Bans Loom As 1 In 3 Women Lose Most Abortion Access Post-Roe
Two months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, about 20.9 million women have lost access to nearly all elective abortions in their home states, and a slate of strict new trigger laws expected to take effect in the coming days will shut out even more. Texas, Tennessee and Idaho all have existing restrictions on abortion, but the laws slated to begin Thursday will either outlaw the procedure entirely or heighten penalties for doctors who perform an abortion, contributing to a seismic shift in who can access abortion in their home states. (Shepherd, Rachel Roubein and Kitchener, 8/22)
More on the court fight in Idaho —
The Washington Post:
Judge To Rule By Wednesday On Federal Challenge To Idaho Abortion Ban
A federal judge in Idaho will rule by Wednesday on whether a near-total ban on abortion can take effect in the state, following a Justice Department lawsuit that says the statute violates a federal requirement to provide medical care when a pregnant person’s life or health is at stake. The case marks the Justice Department’s first attempt to fight a strict abortion ban in court following the Supreme Court decision in June that overturned Roe v. Wade, upending the right to terminate a pregnancy that had been enshrined in federal law for nearly 50 years. (Stein, 8/22)
Bloomberg:
Idaho’s Abortion Limits May Conflict With US Law, Judge Says
Idaho lawmakers offered to revise a plan to prosecute doctors for performing abortions to allow emergency health exceptions after a judge said the state’s strict enforcement may run afoul of federal law. (Rosenblatt, 8/22)
Abortion updates from Kansas and Indiana —
Topeka Capital-Journal:
Kansas Abortion Amendment Recount Wraps Up. After $119,000 Spent, 63 Votes Changed.
After five days, multiple credit cards, $119,000 and no shortage of confusion, a hand recount of the Kansas abortion amendment vote in nine counties changed the ultimate margin of the outcome by only 63 votes, after its sound defeat on Aug. 2. The recount, requested by Melissa Leavitt, a Colby resident who has trafficked in election conspiracy theories, and Mark Gietzen, a Wichita anti-abortion activist, wasn't expected to meaningfully change the results. The "no" vote side lost 57 votes overall, while the "yes" votes gained only six votes. That's a small fraction of the over 922,000 Kansans who voted on the amendment. (Bahl, 8/22)
Indianapolis Star:
‘Predatory’ And ‘Dangerous’ Anti-Abortion Clinics Will Expand In Indiana
Now that Indiana has banned nearly all abortions, crisis pregnancy centers in Indiana are looking to expand. Employees told IndyStar that they have seen upticks in requests for their services and anticipate this need to increase once the ban takes effect Sept. 15. They and other advocates say the centers want to give pregnant people more information before they make their decision on abortion and point to a wide range of other services provided, including therapy and life skills classes. (Kane, 8/22)
