Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Down Syndrome Legislation Becomes New Frontier For Anti-Abortion Activists
The Washington Post: Babies With Down Syndrome Are Put On Center Stage In The U.S. Abortion Fight
Karianne Lisonbee stepped up to the lectern to talk about what she called “a terrible form of discrimination. ”The Republican state representative in Utah had just introduced a bill that would make it a crime for a doctor to perform an abortion if a woman is seeking one “solely” because the fetus has Down syndrome. “In recent years, there has been a shocking increase in abortions performed for no other reason than because a prenatal test identified the potential for a trait a parent didn’t like,” she said at the news conference last month. (Cha, 3/5)
In other news —
The Associated Press: West Virginia House Opposes Constitutional Abortion Rights
West Virginia lawmakers say the main goal of a constitutional amendment they are proposing is to end Medicaid funding for abortions — but opponents say the change could lead to a future ban on abortions altogether. The House on Monday voted 73-25 to pass the resolution, which was approved by the Senate a month ago and will now go before voters in a November referendum. (Virtanen, 3/5)
