Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Hypocritical Or Consistent? Court Allows State Limits On Abortion But Not Guns
AP: Guns And Abortion: Contradictory Decisions, Or Consistent?
They are the most fiercely polarizing issues in American life: abortion and guns. And two momentous decisions by the Supreme Court in two days have done anything but resolve them, firing up debate about whether the court’s conservative justices are being faithful and consistent to history and the Constitution — or citing them to justify political preferences. To some critics, the rulings represent an obvious, deeply damaging contradiction. How can the court justify restricting the ability of states to regulate guns while expanding the right of states to regulate abortion?“ The hypocrisy is raging, but the harm is endless,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday after the court released its decision on abortion. (Brumback, Geller and Tarm, 6/25)
The New York Times: For Gun Violence Researchers, Bipartisan Bill Is A ‘Glass Half Full’
America’s gun violence research community includes psychiatrists, epidemiologists, law professors, emergency room doctors and social policy experts. Their interest is not purely academic; they want to use science to make change. They are mindful of the political realities of Washington, and many have deeply personal connections to the work. (Stolberg, 6/26)
NPR: Biden Signs Gun Safety Bill Into Law
President Biden on Saturday signed into law the first major gun safety legislation passed by Congress in nearly 30 years. ... "While this bill doesn't do everything I want, it does include actions I've long called for that are going to save lives," Biden said just before signing the measure. "Today, we say more than enough. We say more than enough," he added. "At a time when it seems impossible to get anything done in Washington, we are doing something consequential." (Clyde and Miranda, 6/25)
AP: 8 Things To Know About The Gun Violence Bill
Highlights of the bipartisan gun violence bill that President Joe Biden signed on Saturday. (6/25)
In related news from Oklahoma —
The Oklahoman: Oklahoma Gun Deaths Jumped After Stitt Signed ‘Permitless Carry’ Law
Just 44 days on the job, Gov. Kevin Stitt signed his first bill as governor, which allowed Oklahomans over the age of 21 to carry a gun without a permit or training. During the ceremony to sign the so-called "permitless carry" law, Stitt said it would expand the rights of Oklahomans while also making the state safer against gun violence. “There shouldn't be any uptick in violence,” said Stitt, who was flanked by more than a dozen lawmakers there to show their support. Since Nov. 1, 2019, when the “permitless carry” law went into effect, Stitt’s prediction has not come true. (Felder, 6/26)
