Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Hogue Resigns As NARAL President, Cites Progress For Abortion Rights
The Hill: NARAL President To Step Down
Ilyse Hogue, an abortion rights activist who helped lead the fight against former President Trump’s Supreme Court nominees, will step down as president of NARAL, the organization announced Monday. Hogue, who has led NARAL for eight years, did not state what her next career move would be, but her departure comes as Democrats hold unified control of Congress and the White House for the first time in since 2011. (Hellmann, 2/8)
The New York Times: Ilyse Hogue Reflects On The Future Of Roe V. Wade
For Ilyse Hogue, who announced on Monday that she was stepping down as the head of NARAL Pro-Choice America after eight years, abortion rights are at something of a crossroads, with Democrats facing the choice of whether to try to deliver on their promise of codifying Roe v. Wade. When she assumed the role of president of the abortion rights group in 2013, the Democratic Party controlled the Senate and the White House and had a reliable liberal majority on the Supreme Court. Eight years later, Democrats are back in power but abortion rights face a precarious future. (Lerer, 2/8)
In other news on abortion —
AP: SC House Committee Considers Ban On Almost All Abortions
A bill that would likely ban almost all abortions in South Carolina is expected to move closer to final approval Tuesday. The House Judiciary Committee is meeting to discuss the “ South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act.” The bill has already passed the Senate and the governor promises he will sign it. (Collins, 2/9)
NBC News: Arizona Senate Panel Approves Bill That Bans Abortions For Down Syndrome
An Arizona Senate panel has approved a measure that bans medical providers from performing an abortion when a fetus has a genetic abnormality such as Down syndrome. A Republican-majority state Senate panel on Thursday approved SB 1457, which includes several anti-abortion provisions. Arizona is among several states attempting to enact abortion regulations as Roe v. Wade's future remains uncertain with a sharply conservative Supreme Court. (Atkins, 2/5)
Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Clinicians Sign Letter Opposing 3 South Dakota Abortion-Related Bills
A set of three abortion-related bills would interfere with the quality of healthcare provided to women in South Dakota and implies lawmakers think women and their families can't make informed decisions about their medical care, clinicians across the state say. Roughly 70 physicians and medical students from Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Vermillion, Huron, Brookings and Madison sent a letter to lawmakers Sunday urging them to vote against bills they say would hinder their ability to "provide compassionate care for our patients when they need us most." (Ferguson, 2/8)
AP: New Mexico Lawmaker Changes Affiliation After Abortion Vote
A Republican lawmaker in New Mexico who voted in favor of a Democratic-backed abortion bill has left the GOP, officials said. House Minority Leader Jim Townsend said on Friday that state Rep. Phelps Anderson of Roswell changed his voter registration to “declined to state” after voting to repeal a 1969 abortion law that bans and criminalizes the procedure. (2/6)
Courier-Journal: Abortion Protests At Louisville Clinic Renew Push For Safety Zone
Christine is one of the clinic escort volunteers who accompany patients on their way into the EMW Women's Surgical Center — past the protesters who gather on the West Market Street sidewalk in downtown Louisville. Some protesters offer pamphlets, others walk behind and shout out, "You're a mama!" Others, Christine said, pray, brandish signs, yell into a loudspeaker or hold out a rubber fetus. The coronavirus pandemic hasn't changed most of the protesters' behavior, Christine said. Masks are rare, and protesters are seldom social-distancing. (Costello, 2/9)
