Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Determined To Outlaw Abortion, Iowa's GOP Governor Calls Special Session
Iowa Public Radio: Iowa Governor Calls Special Session To Restrict Abortion
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is asking lawmakers to return to Des Moines for a special legislative session beginning July 11 to restrict abortion. In her announcement Wednesday, Reynolds did not specify what abortion law the Republican-majority legislature will pass when they convene. The special session is scheduled to begin less than a month after the Iowa Supreme Court deadlocked 3-3 on Reynolds’ request to reinstate the “fetal heartbeat” law she signed in 2018. That law never took effect. Last month’s Iowa Supreme Court decision kept abortion legal in Iowa until 20 weeks of pregnancy. (Sostaric, 7/5)
AP: Ohio Abortion Rights Backers Submit Nearly Double Needed Signatures For Fall Ballot Measure
Groups hoping to enshrine abortion rights in Ohio’s constitution delivered nearly double the number of signatures needed to place an amendment on the statewide ballot this fall, aiming to signal sweeping widespread support for an issue that still faces the threat of needing a significantly increased victory margin. Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights said they dropped off more than 700,000 petition signatures on Wednesday to Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office in downtown Columbus. LaRose now will work with local election boards to determine that at least 413,446 signatures are valid, which would get the proposal onto the Nov. 7 ballot. (Smyth, 7/5)
AP: Man Gets Life Sentence For Raping 9-Year-Old Ohio Girl Who Traveled To Indiana For Legal Abortion
A man who confessed to raping and impregnating a 9-year-old Ohio girl has been sentenced to life in prison in a case that became a national flashpoint on abortion rights because the girl had to travel out of state to end the pregnancy. Gerson Fuentes, 28, was sentenced to life in prison, but his plea deal stipulates that he can seek parole after serving 25 to 30 years. He would then have to register as a sex offender. (7/5)
AP: Indiana Abortions Drop Sharply Ahead Of State Ban Possibly Taking Effect, State Reports Show
The number of abortions being performed in Indiana has dropped steeply even before a court ruling that has a Republican-backed abortion ban set to potentially take effect in the coming weeks. New reports from the Indiana Department of Health show the state’s abortion total during 2022 jumped by 13% — an increase caused by out-of-state patients coming to Indiana for the procedure as tighter laws took effect in Kentucky and Ohio. (Davies, 7/5)
