Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Appeals Court Sounds Unlikely To Lift Block On Idaho Prosecuting Out-Of-State Abortion Referrals
Reuters: Idaho Faces Skeptical Court In Fight Over Out-Of-State Abortion Referrals
A federal appeals court on Wednesday appeared unlikely to overturn an injunction blocking Idaho's Republican attorney general from prosecuting doctors who refer patients out of state to get an abortion. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sitting in Seattle sharply questioned a lawyer with Attorney General Raul Labrador's office about whether his boss stood by a letter stating doctors could run afoul of the state's abortion ban if they made such referrals. (Raymond, 3/27)
Detroit Free Press: Michigan Abortion Rights Advocates Want Parental Consent Law Repealed
Abortion rights proponents say Michigan lawmakers have more work to do to remove barriers to abortion care. In a new report, advocates deliver an urgent call for lawmakers to repeal Michigan's parental consent law for minors seeking abortions, setting up the next fight over abortion access in the state after voters approved a measure to protect reproductive rights. (Hendrickson, 3/28)
NPR: An Arizona Lawmaker Announced She Was Getting An Abortion. Here's What Happened Next
There are no bills about abortion currently before the state Senate, so Burch's story won't have an immediate effect on legislation. And Burch says she doesn't have high expectations that her story would change the minds of people on the other side of the aisle "who are very passionately against abortion." But her testimony had an effect on at least one Republican lawmaker. (Schutsky, 3/27)
The Marshall Project: Even Where Abortion Is Legal, People in Jail Face Huge Barriers
New reviews of jail policies in 13 states found vague, confusing or nonexistent guidelines and major hurdles to obtaining an abortion. (Heffernan, 3/26)
USA Today: This Small City Is Now A Frontline Of Abortion Debate
Bristol has a state line running through it – Virginia, where abortion is legal, and Tennessee where it was outlawed after Roe v. Wade was overturned. (Taylor, 3/27)
Also —
Stat: Abortion Pill Case Raises Question: Who Can Sue The FDA?
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito had a clear question at Tuesday’s arguments over the abortion pill mifepristone: If the doctors who brought that case can’t sue the FDA over a drug’s label, who can? And when? (Owermohle, 3/28)
Kansas City Star: Missouri Supreme Court Weighs Wrongful Death Claim Of Fetus
Missouri Department of Transportation employee Kaitlyn Anderson was six months pregnant when she was struck and killed by a driver in 2021 while doing road work. The 25-year-old’s fetus also died in the crash. Anderson’s death, and the death of her fetus, are now part of wrongful death case against the state agency and her supervisors that was considered by the Missouri Supreme Court on Wednesday. (Bayless, 3/28)
In LGBTQ+ news —
The Hill: Sacramento Declares Itself A Sanctuary City For Transgender People
The Sacramento City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a resolution declaring the California capital a sanctuary for transgender people. The resolution, which went into effect immediately, guarantees that none of the city’s resources — including staff time — are used to enforce laws passed in other states that restrict access to gender-affirming health care for transgender minors or adults. (Migdon, 3/27)
The 19th: Why Some LGBTQ+ Groups Oppose The Current Kids Online Safety Act
When the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) was introduced in Congress two years ago, it set off alarm bells for many LGBTQ+ groups. The broad and vague bill that aimed to “protect children online” seemed like a censorship nightmare, empowering state attorneys general to determine what kind of content harms kids. The fears that KOSA would be used to shut down LGBTQ+ content were not unfounded. (Mithani, 3/27)
