In Urban Areas, Officials Say They Wouldn’t Enforce Abortion Restrictions

The Wall Street Journal: With State Abortion Restrictions Looming, Some Officials Promise Not To Enforce Them
A new wave of abortion restrictions is expected in half of the U.S. if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Some local officials are pledging not to enforce them, potentially creating uneven legal landscapes within conservative states that are home to more liberal urban areas. District attorneys in metropolitan areas including Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas and San Antonio have said they won’t prosecute abortion providers or others, including those who assist a woman in obtaining the procedure. Current state attorneys general who are up for re-election in Michigan and Wisconsin, as well as Democratic candidates for that office in Georgia and Arizona have likewise pledged not to enforce any laws banning abortion in their states. (Kusisto, 5/22)

In abortion news from Texas and Oklahoma —

Dallas Morning News: John Cornyn Supports Allowing Exceptions To Texas Abortion Law For Rape, Incest
Sen. John Cornyn on Friday said he would permit exceptions for cases of rape and incest in laws restricting abortion that will be triggered in Texas if Roe vs. Wade is abolished. “I would permit those exceptions, but I understand others have strongly held feelings to the contrary,” Cornyn said during a recording of Lone Star Politics, a political show produced by KXAS (NBC 5) and The Dallas Morning News. Cornyn, who is against abortion, stressed that he respects the right of the Legislature to pass abortion-related laws. And he supports the view that Roe vs. Wade should be scrapped. Earlier this month a leaked draft opinion foreshadowed that the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to strike down the law, which in 1973 legalized abortions. (Jeffers Jr., 5/21)

The Texas Tribune: Some Texas Republicans Want To Ban Firms Paying For Abortions Out Of State 
With Texas poised to automatically ban abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, some Republicans are already setting their sights on the next target to fight the procedure: businesses that say they’ll help employees get abortions outside the state. Fourteen Republican members of the state House of Representatives have pledged to introduce bills in the coming legislative session that would bar corporations from doing business in Texas if they pay for abortions in states where the procedure is legal. This would explicitly prevent firms from offering employees access to abortion-related care through health insurance benefits. It would also expose executives to criminal prosecution under pre-Roe anti-abortion laws the Legislature never repealed, the legislators say. (Despart, 5/23)

Oklahoman: Poll Shows Most Oklahoma Voters Don't Want Total Abortion Ban
Less than one-third of Oklahoma voters want a ban on all abortions and only Republicans are deeply divided on the question, according to a poll taken before the state Legislature approved bills this year aimed at shutting down most abortions. The poll, taken by Amber Integrated in December of 500 registered Oklahoma voters, shows 31% would support a total ban on abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade; 55% of the Oklahoma voters surveyed did not want a total ban and another 14% were unsure. (Casteel, 5/22)

From Florida, Michigan, New York, and Massachusetts —

Politico: Florida’s Firewall Against Abortion Restrictions Is In Peril
Florida’s Supreme Court, forged by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, could decide the fate of abortion rights in the state. That’s because Florida’s abortion rights are not just intertwined with federal court rulings but also rely on a decadesold Florida Supreme Court decision that extends privacy rights to abortion. Those rights are enshrined in the Florida Constitution, and the state Supreme Court has previously cited it to overturn restrictive abortion laws, including one requiring parental consent for minors seeking abortions. But the current Florida Supreme Court is dominated by conservatives, including three appointed by DeSantis, and some fear the state justices could interpret the privacy rights differently. (Fineout, 5/22)

AP: Florida Suspends Abortion Clinic After Hospitalizations
An abortion clinic that serves women from all over the U.S. South had its license suspended this weekend under an emergency order from Florida health officials after two women who had undergone procedures at the clinic were hospitalized this year. The state Agency for Health Care Administration ordered the suspension of the license for American Family Planning of Pensacola, effective starting Saturday. (5/22)

Newsweek: Contraception 'Should Not Be Legal,' Says Trump-Backed Candidate Eubanks
Jacky Eubanks, a Trump-endorsed candidate for Michigan's legislature, said she would vote to make contraception illegal. ... Eubanks, who is running for Michigan's 63rd House district, backed a ban on contraception during an interview with right-wing news outlet Church Militant. ... Eubanks continued to blast contraception as leading people to believe in "the false sense of security that they can have consequence-free sex." She said a ban on contraception would also convince people to wait until marriage to have sexual relations. (Stanton, 5/21)

Politico: The Pro-Abortion Rights, Former Obama Adviser Republican Running For New York Governor 
New York Republicans spent years being rejected by Harry Wilson, a corporate consulting executive who repeatedly demurred a run for governor to focus on his family and career. In February, he finally changed his mind. Now the state GOP is the one rejecting him. By the time Wilson — a Westchester County businessperson who built a fortune after decades on Wall Street and advised President Barack Obama’s Treasury department — jumped into the race, the party had lavished endorsements and resources on Rep. Lee Zeldin. The Long Island congressman is a close ally of former President Donald Trump and recently said appointing an anti-abortion rights health commissioner in New York would be a “great idea.” (Gronewold, 5/21)

The 19th: Massachusetts Lawmakers Want To Make Medication Abortion Available At Colleges
As abortion access is thrown into uncertainty around the nation, Massachusetts lawmakers are pushing for legislation that would require health centers at public colleges and universities to offer medication abortions. Lawmakers and advocates who support the bills say medication abortion should be accessible on campus because college students may not know where to find abortion providers, often lack transportation to visit them and have class schedules that make traveling for care difficult. (Nittle, 5/20)

Also —

The Atlantic: How The End Of Roe Would Change Prenatal Care
Even now, laws in more than a dozen states that restrict abortion past 20 weeks are changing the use of the second-trimester anatomy scans. “People are moving those tests backward, doing them earlier than is optimal,” says Laura Hercher, a genetic counselor at Sarah Lawrence College who recently conducted a survey of genetic counselors in abortion-restrictive states. But the earlier the scan, the less doctors can see. Certain brain structures, such as the cavum septum pellucidum, might not develop until week 20, says Chloe Zera, an obstetrician in Massachusetts. Being unable to find this structure could indicate a brain anomaly, or just that the scan was done too early. Doctors might also pick up evidence of a heart defect but not know how severe or fixable it is. At 20 weeks, the heart is only the size of a dime. (Zhang, 5/20)

KHN: Journalists Explore Affordability Of Mental Health Care And Abortion Laws’ Effect On Miscarriages 
KHN correspondent Aneri Pattani discussed why finding affordable mental health care is so difficult on NPR’s “A1” on May 18. ... Freelancer Charlotte Huff discussed how Texas abortion laws complicate miscarriage treatment on “Texas Standard” on May 16. (5/21)