Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Idaho Lawmakers Aim To Criminalize Helping With A Minor's Abortion
AP: Idaho Law Could Criminalize Helping Minors Get Abortions
Idaho lawmakers are considering making it illegal for an adult to help a minor procure an abortion without parental consent. The measure would create a new crime of “abortion trafficking,” barring adults from obtaining abortion pills for a minor and “recruiting, harboring, or transporting the pregnant minor.” To sidestep violating a constitutional right to travel between states, the state law would make illegal only the portion of a trip to an out-of-state abortion provider that takes place in Idaho. People convicted of breaking the law would face two to five years in prison. (Mulvihill and Hanna, 3/29)
In abortion news from Florida —
WESH 2: Florida's 6-Week Abortion Ban Inches Closer To Becoming Law
The proposed ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy in Florida is moving closer to becoming law today. The full state Senate is scheduled to begin debate on the bill and could hold a vote. Senate Bill 300, titled the Pregnancy and Parenting Support bill, includes a shorter time frame for an abortion but allows exemptions in the cases of rape and incest. Women would have to provide documentation from police, court, or medical records to prove they are victims. (Hazen, 3/30)
Yahoo News: Doctor Holds Up Tic-Tac To Demonstrate How Few Cells A 6-Week Abortion Ban Is Protecting
A Florida Senate committee advanced a bill that will ban abortions at six weeks and give $25 million to anti-abortion centers on Tuesday, following five hours of fervent testimony from the public. One anesthesiologist’s testimony included holding up a single Tic Tac to illustrate the actual size of the clump of cells the committee would privilege over breathing patients in its “near total abortion ban.” (Cruz, 3/28)
Other abortion updates from across the U.S. —
WITN: Bill Prohibiting Abortion After Conception Filed In NC House
Three Republican members of the North Carolina House of Representatives filed a bill Wednesday that they say is aimed at protecting the sanctity of human life. Representative Keith Kidwell who represents Beaufort County joined representatives Ben Moss and Ed Goodwin to file house bill 533. If passed, the bill, which is called the Human Life Protection Act of 2023, would prohibit abortion after conception except in cases where it is necessary to preserve the mother’s life. (3/29)
AP: North Dakota Aims At School Curriculum To Deter Abortions
North Dakota schools would be required to show students high-quality video of how a human fetus develops in each week of pregnancy under a bill Senate lawmakers approved during a vote Wednesday. The 37-9 vote comes on the heels of the North Dakota Supreme Court’s ruling this month that a state abortion ban will remain blocked while a lawsuit over its constitutionality proceeds. (Ahmed, 3/29)
CNBC: Abortion Pill: Dueling Court Cases May Decide Legality Of Mifepristone
Two federal judges are poised to issue rulings soon in dueling cases that could dramatically affect access to the abortion pill mifepristone. In Washington state, U.S. District Judge Thomas Rice is weighing whether to scrap federal regulations on mifepristone that complicate access even where abortion is legal. He is also considering whether to issue an order that would block the Food and Drug Administration from taking any action to pull the pill from the market or reduce its availability. In Texas, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk is considering whether to order the FDA to pull the mifepristone from the U.S. market. (Kiimball, 3/29)
ProPublica: How Abortion Bans Are Impacting Pregnant Patients Across the Country
Nine months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending nearly 50 years of federal protection of abortion rights, the impact of the landmark ruling known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization continues to ripple across the nation. In Dobbs, the Supreme Court voted 6-3 that the U.S. Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. The ruling essentially divided the nation into two territories: states where people have access to abortion care and states where most or all people are unable to obtain an abortion, even if their lives are at risk. (Branstetter, 3/29)
San Francisco Chronicle: Antiabortion Activists Must Face Criminal Trial: Top California Court
Two antiabortion activists who posed as fetal researchers in order to enter national meetings of abortion providers and secretly record conversations will go to trial on criminal charges in San Francisco after the state Supreme Court rejected their latest appeal Wednesday. (Egelko, 3/29)
In other news about reproductive health —
AP: Anti-Abortion Wisconsin Lawmakers Now Eye Medicaid Expansion
Low-income Wisconsin mothers could stay on Medicaid longer after giving birth and with less paperwork under a bill that has gained bipartisan support in the Republican-controlled Legislature. Nearly half of the state’s lawmakers have co-sponsored the bill that came before the Senate insurance committee for a hearing on Wednesday. Currently, Wisconsinites can enroll in the state-supported and federally-funded healthcare program if they are pregnant and qualify as low-income, but have to recertify for the program 60 days after giving birth. Under the proposal, they could keep coverage for a year, even if their household income increases. (Venhuizen, 3/29)
