Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Judge Says Right To Abortion May Be Included In 13th Amendment
Politico: Federal Judge Says Constitutional Right To Abortion May Still Exist, Despite Dobbs
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., suggested Monday that there may be a constitutional right to abortion baked into the 13th Amendment — an area she said went unexplored by the Supreme Court in its momentous decision last year overturning Roe v. Wade. In a pending criminal case against several anti-abortion activists, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization concluded only that the 14th Amendment included no right to abortion but stopped short of definitively ruling out other aspects of the Constitution that might apply. (Cheney and Gerstein, 2/6)
CNBC: Supreme Court Abortion Ruling Questioned By Judge
Kollar-Kotelly’s order told prosecutors and defense lawyers to file briefs by next month on the questions of whether the Supreme Court’s ruling only addresses the issue of whether abortion is not protected by the 14th Amendment, and if any other provision in the Constitution “could confer a right to abortion.” Her order in Washington District Court could end up being an invitation to federal legal challenges on 13th Amendment grounds to state laws that sharply restricted access to abortion in some states after the high court’s controversial decision overturning its 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade. (Mangan, 2/6)
In other news about abortion —
San Francisco Chronicle: Biden’s Justice Department Is Using A Law Meant To Protect Abortion Clinics In Defense Of A Crisis Pregnancy Center
A 1994 federal law that makes it a crime to intentionally damage property that provides “reproductive health services” has been used to prosecute people who try to trash abortion clinics. But the law has never been deployed in defense of abortion opponents — until now, with charges filed by President Biden’s Justice Department against two abortion-rights activists who spray-painted slogans on the walls of one of the thousands of anti-abortion facilities known as crisis pregnancy centers. (Egelko, 2/6)
AP: Tennessee Gov. Lee Proposes $100M For Anti-Abortion Centers
Brushing aside calls to tweak one of the strictest abortion bans in the United States, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Monday unveiled plans to funnel tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to anti-abortion centers as he declared the state had a “moral obligation” to support families. Lee, a Republican, said he wants to create a $100 million grant program for nonprofits commonly known as “crisis pregnancy centers.” If approved, Tennessee would become one of the top spending states on such organizations known for dissuading people from getting an abortion. (Kruesi and Mattise, 2/7)
Iowa Public Radio: Iowa Anti-Abortion Groups, Lawmakers Announce Bill To Ban All Abortions
Iowa anti-abortion groups and some Republican lawmakers are starting the push for a “life at conception” bill that would ban all abortion in Iowa. Maggie DeWitte, who heads the Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders, announced the effort Monday at a Prayer for Life anti-abortion rally at the Statehouse. She said while they’re waiting for a court decision on Iowa’s “fetal heartbeat” law, anti-abortion groups believe it’s the right time to start pushing for more restrictions. (Sostaric, 2/6)
The Washington Post: Small Towns Rebel Against Abortion Rights In Left-Leaning New Mexico
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, Laura Wight, a liberal here in conservative eastern New Mexico, saw one small silver lining. Although abortion was illegal 10 miles away in Texas, she figured it remained safe in this blue state. It hasn’t felt that way to her lately. On a recent afternoon, Wight was at a small rally in a strip mall parking lot, waving a giant pink flag that read “PRO-WOMEN, PRO-CHOICE” at passing pickups. Other participants were collecting signatures in hopes of overturning an ordinance passed last month by the city commission aimed at keeping abortion — in pill or surgical form — out of Clovis. (Brulliard, 2/6)
Connecticut Public: CT Looks To Expand Abortion Access As More Patients Travel To New England
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, many New England states looked to protect and expand abortion access. Connecticut took an early lead, opening an information hotline, enacting new legislation that provides legal protections, and increasing the number of abortion providers. (Srinivasan, 2/6)
Also —
The Guardian: Google Targets Low-Income US Women With Ads For Anti-Abortion Pregnancy Centers, Study Shows
Low-income women in some cities are more likely than their wealthier counterparts to be targeted by Google ads promoting anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers when they search for abortion care, researchers at the Tech Transparency Project have found. The research builds on previous findings detailing how Google directs users searching for abortion services to so-called crisis centers – organizations that have been known to pose as abortion clinics in an attempt to steer women away from accessing abortion care. (Noor, 2/7)
