Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Alabama's Ban May Be The Most Restrictive, But It's Just One Of Many Anti-Abortion Bills Sweeping The Country
The New York Times: ‘The Time Is Now’: States Are Rushing To Restrict Abortion, Or To Protect It
In April, Indiana placed a near-total ban on the most common type of second-trimester abortion in the state. Days later, Ohio passed a bill banning abortion in the very early weeks of pregnancy after a fetal heartbeat is detected. Now on Wednesday, Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama signed a bill effectively banning the procedure altogether. States across the country are passing some of the most restrictive abortion legislation in decades, deepening the growing divide between liberal and conservative states and setting up momentous court battles that could profoundly reshape abortion access in America. (Tavernise, 5/15)
Reuters: U.S. Anti-Abortion Groups Plot Course From State Capitals To Supreme Court
Anti-abortion advocacy groups have pushed hard in recent months for the passage of bills to restrict or even ban the procedure outright at the state level, inspired by the perception that the U.S. Supreme Court has tilted in their favor. Anti-abortion campaigners have been seeking to overturn a woman's constitutional right to an abortion ever since the U.S. Supreme Court found they had that right in the 1973 decision Roe v. Wade. (5/15)
The New York Times: 7 States Have Passed Bills This Year To Narrow The Window For Abortion
Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio stopped short of outright bans, instead passing so-called heartbeat bills that effectively prohibit abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, when doctors can usually start detecting a fetal heartbeat. Utah and Arkansas voted to limit the procedure to the middle of the second trimester. Most other states follow the standard set by the Supreme Court’s Roe decision in 1973, which says abortion is legal until the fetus reaches viability, usually at 24 to 28 weeks. The latest bans are not yet in effect (Kentucky’s was blocked by a judge), and all are expected to face lengthy court battles — indeed, their proponents are hoping they will reach the Supreme Court. (Lai, 5/15)
The Associated Press: Wisconsin Assembly Approves 'Born Alive' Anti-Abortion Bill
The Wisconsin Assembly passed a so-called born alive anti-abortion bill Wednesday that President Donald Trump has touted, a move that comes as conservatives across the country push to end the constitutional right to abortion. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has promised to veto the measure, which was one of four anti-abortion bills up for passage in the Republican-controlled Assembly. (Bauer, 5/15)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Republicans Pass Abortion Restrictions As Some Get Behind Making Birth Control Easier To Get
Republicans in the state Assembly on Wednesday passed a slate of bills aimed at further restricting access to abortions while some are also backing legislation that would make birth control easier to get. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and at least three Republican lawmakers are backing legislation that would allow pharmacists to prescribe hormonal birth control. (Beck, 5/15)
The Washington Post: Missouri Senate Passes Bill To Ban Abortions At 8 Weeks
Missouri’s Republican-led Senate passed a bill to ban abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy. Senators approved the legislation 24-10 early Thursday with just hours left before lawmakers’ Friday deadline to pass bills. It needs at least another vote of approval in the GOP-led House before it can go to Republican Gov. Mike Parson, who supports it. Parson on Wednesday had called on state senators to take action on the bill, the latest GOP-dominated state emboldened by the possibility that a more conservative Supreme Court could overturn its landmark ruling legalizing the procedure. (Ballentine, 5/16)
KCUR: Senate Wants To Make Missouri Latest State To Substantially Curtail Abortion
Missouri senators are considering a restrictive abortion bill which bans the procedure after a heartbeat or brain activity is detected — likely around eight weeks. It could make Missouri the latest state with a GOP-controlled Legislature to pass such a measure, a move that will almost certainly spark years of litigation that go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. (Rosenbaum, 5/15)
The Associated Press: Louisiana 'Heartbeat' Abortion Ban Nearing Final Passage
A proposal to ban abortions in Louisiana as early as the sixth week of pregnancy continued to speed through the state legislature Wednesday, the same day Alabama's governor signed the nation's most restrictive law against the procedure. Without objection, the Louisiana House Health and Welfare Committee backed legislation to prohibit abortions when a fetal heartbeat is detected, similar to laws passed in several conservative states that are aimed at challenging the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 decision that legalized abortion. (DeSlatte, 5/15)
The Associated Press: Utah Prosecutor Says He Won't Enforce Strict Abortion Law
As Utah defends its strict new abortion ban against a court challenge, the chief prosecutor overseeing the county with the state's only two clinics has said he won't enforce the measure. Democratic Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill's decision marks the latest example of an official resisting such laws passed by states around the country. (Whitehurst, 5/15)
Sacramento Bee: CA Lawmakers Reaction To AL Bill Criminalizing Abortion
Roe v. Wade has been settled law for nearly half a century, but as a wave of conservative lawmakers in states like Alabama, Georgia and Ohio pass bills heavily restricting or outright outlawing the medical procedure of abortion, California lawmakers and other public figures are sounding the alarm. On Tuesday, Alabama lawmakers approved a bill criminalizing abortion, even in cases of rape and incest, and punishing doctors who perform it with up to 99 years in prison. (Sheeler, 5/15)
