Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Indiana AG Presses Discipline For Doctor In Ohio Minor's Abortion Case
The New York Times: Indiana Attorney General Asks Medical Board To Discipline Abortion Doctor
Indiana’s attorney general, Todd Rokita, asked a state medical board on Wednesday to discipline the doctor who provided an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim this summer. Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist, treated the girl, who had traveled from Ohio when the state enacted a ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. (Sasani and Stolberg, 11/30)
More abortion news from across the U.S. —
Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Lawmakers 'Highly Unlikely' To Ban Abortion At Conception This Year
Facing a looming ballot battle, Republican lawmakers are poised to clarify exceptions in the state's six-week abortion ban rather than ban the procedure entirely before the end of the year. Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said Wednesday that it's "highly unlikely" that lawmakers will ban abortion from the point of conception this year. But expect some legislation aimed at clarifying when doctors can perform abortions to save the mother's life. (Balmert and Bischoff, 12/1)
AZ Mirror: Judges Mull Whether Arizona's 1864 Abortion Ban Can Co-Exist With 50 Years Of Laws Regulating Abortion
The future of abortion access in Arizona remains in limbo after a three-judge panel in Tucson heard arguments Wednesday on the validity and application of a near-total ban from 1864 — and whether it can coexist with a 15-week ban passed this year. (Gomez, 11/30)
AP: Kansas Providers Cautious About Doing Telemedicine Abortions
Kansas providers might not be ready for months to do telemedicine abortions even though a state-court judge has blocked the state from enforcing its ban on teleconferencing with patients seeking pregnancy-ending medications. (Hanna, 11/30)
AP: Oklahoma Citizen-Led Initiative Would Codify Abortion Access
Roger Coody has no legal training and his political experience until recently had been limited to registering people to vote. Now, the Oklahoma hairstylist is pushing a ballot proposal he wrote that would make abortion access a constitutional right in his deeply red state, where Republican lawmakers have banned the procedure in nearly all circumstances. It’s part of a growing trend across the nation to put reproductive freedom to a popular vote after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed the right to abortion nationwide for nearly 50 years. (Coronado and Murphy, 11/30)
Colorado Public Radio: Pueblo Council Considering Whether To Try To Ban Abortion Providers From The City
The Pueblo city council plans to vote on a measure that would effectively ban abortions within the city limits, the first proposal of this kind in Colorado since the U.S Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The ordinance, which faces uphill odds of passing the politically divided council, would seek to use a mechanism similar to the law in Texas that bans abortions after six weeks and empowers local citizens, not the government, to file claims against abortion providers. (Birkeland, 12/1)
Also —
The New York Times: How A College Town In Illinois Became Crucial To Abortion Access
After Roe fell, a sleepy college town in Southern Illinois found itself to be a crucial destination for abortion access. Not all of its residents are happy about it. (Sasani and Schaff, 11/30)
The Washington Post: Pregnant And Desperate In Post-Roe America
It’s a moment of panic that has played out again and again for people in more than a dozen states since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. Once they find out they’re pregnant, there isn’t much time to act. The closest open abortion clinics that once offered next-day appointments are now often fully booked three, four, even five weeks in advance. Pills purchased online can take up to a month to arrive. (Kitchener, 12/1)
In related news about sex education —
KHN: Montana’s New Sex Ed Law Ensnares English And History Lessons, Too
A Montana law requiring public schools to notify parents of lessons that mention human sexuality — and allowing parents to pull their children from those lessons — has reached further and been more cumbersome than anticipated, according to two school district leaders. School districts across the state have spent months consulting with attorneys and retooling their policies to ensure they are in compliance with the law passed in 2021. Senate Bill 99 requires parents to be notified at least 48 hours in advance about lessons related to sexual education, as well as other topics, including anatomy, intimate relationships, sexual orientation, gender identity, contraception, and reproductive rights. (Graf, 12/1)
