Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Future Of Decades-Old Abortion Trigger Laws Plays Out In Courts
The Wall Street Journal: New Abortion Lawsuits Continue In States Cutting Access
State court battles over the future of abortion access continued to expand Wednesday, as abortion providers in Ohio and West Virginia filed legal challenges to state laws curtailing access to the procedure. In Ohio, abortion-rights groups and local providers asked the state Supreme Court to block a law banning abortion after around six weeks of pregnancy that went into effect on Friday. ... In West Virginia, abortion providers and advocates filed a lawsuit in state court challenging a law dating back to the 1800s that has created uncertainty over whether abortion is legal in the state, causing providers to stop offering the procedure. (Kusisto and Calfas, 6/29)
USA Today: 'Trigger' Laws That Ban Abortion Are Being Challenged In Court: What To Know
U.S. abortion providers are challenging a growing number of state “trigger laws” designed to ban abortion after the Supreme Court ended constitutional abortion protections. A handful of challenges to trigger laws adopted in 13 states come as states also face expected legal battles over certain restrictions – such as bans on abortions over six or 15 weeks – as well as outdated bans from as far back to the 19th century that were never removed from state statues after the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. (Kenning, 6/29)
AP: Arizona Attorney General: Pre-1901 Abortion Ban Enforceable
Arizona’s Republican attorney general announced Wednesday that a pre-statehood law that bans all abortions is enforceable and that he will soon file for the removal of an injunction that has blocked it for nearly 50 years. Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s office said after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its 1973 decision that said abortion was a constitutional right that he was weighing whether the old law could be be enforced. (Christie, 6/30)
Lexington Herald Leader: Kentucky’s ‘Trigger Law’ Could Put Doctors In Prison For Five Years. How Does It Work?
Effective immediately, surgical and medication abortions are illegal in Kentucky. Performing an abortion is a Class D felony, punishable by one to five years in prison. Penalties can be levied on those who perform a surgical procedure or prescribe or provide pills to a woman to end her pregnancy, such as mifepristone and misoprostol. Pregnant women cannot be held criminally responsible under the law as presently written. The people at risk would be medical professionals — doctors, nurses, pharmacists. (Cheves, 6/29)
The Salt Lake Tribune: State Lawmakers Say They Will Run Bills Modifying Utah's Abortion Laws
State lawmakers are already looking at ways to update Utah’s abortion laws, less than a week after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Rep. Angela Romero told The Salt Lake Tribune on Wednesday that she is proposing a bill that would remove criminal penalties for health care providers who provide abortion services. (Jacobs, 6/29)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Roe Ruling, Abortion Ban May Affect Wisconsin Doctor Recruitment
Molly Wecker, a second-year medical student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, had long planned to be an obstetrics-gynecology doctor in her home state. But with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling last week, the Rock County native is rethinking her plan. “Wisconsin is in desperate need of OB/GYNs,” she said. “It’s an underserved area for sure. It’d be great to help fill in that gap, but with the possibility of having incomplete medical training, it makes it hard for me to consider staying in Wisconsin.” (Meyerhofer, 6/29)
The Texas Tribune: Texas Abortion Funds Fear Jail Time In Post-Roe Legal Turmoil
For years, the Frontera Fund hotline has helped residents of the Rio Grande Valley access and pay for abortions in the region and out of state. But now, callers get just a recorded voicemail message: “In light of the Supreme Court decision and the uncertainty around Texas law, we are forced to pause funding at this time,” the recording says. “We are working diligently with our lawyers and national partners to get through this crisis.” (Douglas and Klibanoff, 6/29)
The Washington Post: On Abortion, Virginia Gov. Youngkin Says He Will Sign ‘Any Bill ... To Protect Life’
Gov. Glenn Youngkin said this week he believes life begins at conception and vowed to sign “any bill … to protect life” that reaches his desk, expressing more ambitious antiabortion goals than he set out last year on the campaign trail or expects to pull off in the next legislative session. (Vozzella, 6/29)
And Texas may soon go after same-sex couples —
The Washington Post: Texas AG Says He’d Defend Sodomy Law If Supreme Court Revisits Ruling
The Republican attorney general, who is running for reelection in November, suggested he would be comfortable supporting a law outlawing intimate same-sex relationships. (Bella, 6/29)
