Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Florida Abortion Ban After 15 Weeks Heads To DeSantis' Desk
Miami Herald: FL Legislature Passes Ban On Abortions After 15 Weeks
The Florida Senate voted Thursday to pass a historic and controversial measure banning most abortions after 15 weeks. The bill’s path through the Florida Legislature was one of the most turbulent in recent memory. Lawmakers gave tearful speeches while debating it. Protesters disrupted multiple hearings. And the legal future of the proposal remains uncertain. But on Thursday, by the time the debate over life and liberty and privacy had ended, the Senate had voted 23 to 15 along party lines to pass House Bill 5. It didn’t change a single word of the measure that passed the House last month. (Wilson, 3/3)
Politico: Florida Lawmakers Approve Strictest Abortion Ban In State’s History
The measure prohibits women from receiving abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. It provides no exceptions for victims of rape, incest or human trafficking. Existing Florida law restricts abortions after 24 weeks. The Florida House approved an identical measure two weeks ago. Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book said before Thursday’s vote that the bill destined for the governor’s desk has left victims of rape and incest out in the cold.(Sarkissian, 3/3)
In abortion news from Idaho, South Carolina, California and Arkansas —
The 19th: Idaho State Senate Votes To Enact Six-Week Abortion Ban Similar To Texas Law
Idaho’s state Senate voted Thursday to enact a six-week abortion ban modeled after the Texas law that has eliminated access to the procedure before many people know they are pregnant. The vote puts Idaho on the path to becoming the second state with a six-week ban in place. The bill, known as Senate Bill 1309, will next go to Idaho’s House of Representatives, where abortion rights organizations expect it to pass. A spokesperson for Republican Gov. Brad Little declined to comment on whether he would sign the bill, saying the office does not comment on pending legislation, but recently reiterated to the Idaho Spokesman Review his opposition toward abortion in general. (Luthra, 3/3)
AP: S. Carolina Lawmakers Stall Abortion Bills Through Walkout
Two South Carolina state senators on Thursday delayed two abortion-related bills, including one that would ban all abortions if the U.S. Supreme Court says states can do so, by simply leaving the room. The departure by Sens. Brad Hutto and Sandy Senn left the Senate Medical Affairs committee with just a handful of members present — not enough for a quorum. (Liu, 3/3)
Los Angeles Times: More California Nurse Practitioners Could Offer Abortions Under Bill
California would allow nurse practitioners to more easily work independently of a doctor and perform abortions under legislation that expands reproductive care as other states move to restrict access. The bill is one of several introduced this year by California Democrats who have been preparing countermeasures to expand abortion access for those who live in and out of the state, a months-long effort that comes in response to the possibility that the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn Roe vs. Wade, the nearly 50-year-old landmark decision that barred states from criminalizing abortions. (Gutierrez, 3/3)
AP: Arkansas Lawmakers OK $1M For Pregnancy Resource Centers
Arkansas lawmakers approved setting aside in $1 million in state funds Thursday for private pregnancy resource centers that discourage pregnant women from getting an abortion. The majority-Republican House approved by a 75-19 vote legislation creating a grant program for the centers, which provide services to women with unintended pregnancies but do not perform abortions or refer women to abortion providers. The Senate approved the measure a day earlier, and it now heads to GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s desk. (DeMillo, 3/3)
