Federal Abortion Ban Is Off The Table, Trump Pledges During VP Debate
The Republican presidential nominee, who has previously dodged such a commitment, said he would veto any measure that takes away states' responsibilities. His announcement came after his running mate, J.D. Vance, conceded that Republicans are losing ground on the issue.
Politico:
Trump Vows To Veto Any Federal Abortion Ban — After Previously Refusing To Commit
Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would veto a federal abortion ban after previously declining to say whether he would do so. “Everyone knows I would not support a federal abortion ban, under any circumstances, and would, in fact, veto it, because it is up to the states to decide based on the will of the their voters,” Trump wrote in an all-caps message he posted across social media platforms as his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), was pressed on the issue during the vice presidential debate. (Kashinsky and Messerly, 10/1)
Abortion news from New Jersey, Kentucky, Ohio, and Georgia —
Fox News:
New Jersey Democrat Proposes Bill To Create Travel Advisories To Inform Pregnant Women Of State Abortion Laws
A New Jersey Democrat introduced legislation establishing travel advisories informing women of restrictive abortion laws in other states they may be visiting. The bill, proposed by state Sen. John Burzichelli, would require New Jersey's health and state departments to launch a website that would list color codes for states depending on how restrictive their abortion laws are, according to NJ Spotlight News. (Mion, 10/2)
Kentucky Lantern:
How Kentucky's Former Top Prosecutor Used His Powers To Go After Abortion Providers In Secret
Kentucky’s attorney general and two University of Louisville physicians waged a legal battle for more than a year that almost no one knew about — even though it involved the Republican candidate for governor and an issue of intense public interest. The secrecy around the case – from its outset in June of 2023 – is highly unusual. It ended Monday when the file was unsealed under a Franklin Circuit judge’s order. The Lantern first revealed the case’s existence and reported many of its details in August based on a Court of Appeals ruling and sources with knowledge of the situation. The newly unsealed file provides further insights into what happened when the powers of Kentucky’s top prosecutor intersected with abortion politics in an election year. (Loftus and Lucke, 10/2)
Ohio Capital Journal:
Ohio Abortion Report Shows Increases, Jump In Out-Of-State Resident Care
Ohio’s most recent official abortion count found an increase between 2022 and 2023, and also found the majority of abortions are still happening before nine weeks gestation. Out-of-state abortion seekers have jumped up as well, with that group making up almost 13% of the total abortions conducted in Ohio. (Tebben, 10/2)
AP:
No One Expects A Judge's Rollback Of Georgia's Abortion Ban To Be The Last Word
Georgia clinic officials told The Associated Press that they would accept patients whose pregnancies are past six weeks’ gestation — and also that they know the ban could be reimposed quickly. That could make a big difference in the state. There were about 4,400 abortions monthly in Georgia before the ban took effect, and there have been about 2,400 monthly since then, according to estimates from the Society of Family Planning. Allowing more abortions could mean that more women who want them can obtain them. It could also ease the flow of patients to clinics in other states, particularly North Carolina, the closest place where abortion is legal further into pregnancy. The Guttmacher Institute estimated that nearly 6,000 Georgia residents traveled to North Carolina for abortions last year. (Bynum and Mulvihill, 10/1)
In other reproductive health news —
CNN:
China: Woman With Rare Double Uterus Gives Birth To Twins
A woman with the rare condition of two uteruses delivered twins, one from each womb, last month at a hospital in northwestern China, according to health officials and state media. The mother, identified only be her last name Li, welcomed a boy and a girl via caesarean section, the Xi’an People’s Hospital in Shaanxi province said, calling it a “one in a million” occurrence. (10/1)
