Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As Abortion Emerges As Key Issue In 2020 Race, Planned Parenthood To Hold Forum For Democratic Hopefuls
The New York Times: Planned Parenthood To Host Women’s Health Forum For 2020 Democrats
Planned Parenthood Action Fund is set to host a forum on reproductive rights for the Democratic primary field this month, as the issue of abortion emerges as a central topic in the 2020 presidential race. The forum, hosted by Planned Parenthood’s political arm, is the first event in recent presidential campaigns singularly focused on women’s health. The candidates will be individually questioned for 15 minutes about their positions and records on issues like abortion rights, access to health care and contraception. (Lerer, 6/12)
The Hill: 16 Democrats To Attend 2020 Abortion Forum Hosted By Planned Parenthood
Among the candidates to be confirmed already by the group is Joe Biden, whose positions on reproductive rights made headlines last week. Biden's campaign initially said the former vice president still supported the Hyde Amendment, which bars federal money from being used for abortion. After significant backlash arguing that the rule disproportionately hits poor and minority women, Biden announced he would now oppose the amendment. (Rodrigo, 6/12)
The New York Times: What Abortion Access Looks Like In Mississippi: One Woman At A Time
When Brandy found out she was pregnant for the fifth time, she was 25 and single and had given birth to her third child two months earlier. Soon after that, she lost her retail management job of six years. It was midwinter 2013, and she could barely pay her heating bill. “I knew I wasn’t going to keep it if I could do anything about it,” she says now of the pregnancy. A month later, once she could afford the cab fare, she called a taxi to drive her 20 minutes to Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the only abortion clinic in Mississippi. (Beery, 6/13)
The Washington Post: Five Men Outlaw Abortion In A Texas Town, Declaring A ‘Sanctuary City For The Unborn’
Five men this week declared a small town in East Texas a “sanctuary city for the unborn,” commandeering the language of the movement for immigrant rights to counter the reproductive freedom of women. There are no abortion clinics in Waskom, Tex., a city of about 2,200, which lies on the border with Louisiana. But the all-male, all-white city council decided unanimously on Tuesday that prohibiting abortion was necessary as a preventive measure. (Stanley-Becker, 6/13)
The Associated Press: Illinois Governor Signs Law Expanding Access To Abortion
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed sweeping abortion protections into law on Wednesday, establishing women's access to the procedure as a "fundamental right" and putting Illinois at odds with Republican-led states that have been embracing steep abortion restrictions. The new Illinois law voids decades-old abortion regulations that were on the books but had never taken effect because of court orders, including restrictions on late-term abortions and criminal penalties for doctors who perform abortions. (6/12)
