Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Kansas Sued Over 'Abortion Reversal' Law And Other Medical Falsehoods
Reuters: Planned Parenthood Sues Kansas Over Abortion Reversal Claims
Planned Parenthood on Tuesday sued to block a new Kansas law requiring healthcare providers to tell patients that medication abortion can be reversed, a potentially dangerous claim not supported by evidence. The lawsuit in the District Court of Johnson County, filed against state and local authorities on behalf of a group of doctors, also challenges older mandates requiring providers to warn patients that abortion is linked to breast cancer, and to wait at last 30 minutes after meeting with a patient to perform an abortion. (Pierson, 6/7)
The Baltimore Sun: New Abortion Provider In Western Maryland Will Cut Patients’ Journeys From West Virginia, Where Procedure Is Banned
Many residents in nearby Cumberland aren’t happy about having an abortion provider opening close by, Mayor Roy Morriss said, though he added he hears more complaints about traffic in town and water rates. In April, about a dozen people spoke against the center’s opening at a crowded hearing held by Allegany County’s Board of County Commissioners. Board President David Caporale told the audience that the three commissioners — all Republicans — agreed with the speakers, but their hands were tied by state law from stopping the center from opening. (Roberts, 6/6)
AP: Indiana Abortion Clinic Closes Amid 'Unnecessary' Restrictions
A northern Indiana abortion clinic will close nearly a year after the state approved a ban on the practice, with “unnecessary” and “politically driven” restrictions on abortions forcing its closure, according to a Monday announcement. Amy Hagstrom Miller, president of Whole Woman’s Health Alliance, said in the statement that staff have seen over 1,100 women for medication abortions “in our small but mighty South Bend clinic” since it opened seven years ago. (Rodgers, 6/6)
The Hill: Colorado GOP To Biden: Don’t Let Abortion Influence Space Command Decision
The Colorado Republican Party is urging President Biden not to take abortion access into consideration if he decides to base the Space Command headquarters in Colorado Springs — a move that would reverse former President Trump’s selection of Huntsville, Alab., as the prime location. Instead, Colorado GOP Chair Dave Williams wrote in a letter shared with The Hill, Biden should make that decision based on merit. (Fortinsky, 6/7)
The Colorado Sun: Colorado Is Becoming A Legal Battleground Over Abortion Access With New Challenge To 30-Year-Old “Bubble” Law
An anti-abortion activist is challenging Colorado’s 30-year-old prohibition on approaching people within 100 feet of the entrance of a health care facility to pass them a leaflet, display a sign or engage in “oral protest, education or counseling. ”The 1993 ban, sometimes called the “bubble law,” was enacted by the legislature as a way to shield women getting an abortion from harassment, though it doesn’t apply just to abortion clinics. (Paul, 6/6)
Also —
Los Angeles Times: Abortion And Trans Rights Advocates See Parallel In Struggle
Bans on treatment. New laws threatening doctors with malpractice suits and criminal charges. Praise from lawmakers who say their legislation is meant to protect minors, even as the new policies infringe on the rights of adults. As state legislatures wind down and the 2024 election cycle kicks off, the similarities between the fights for abortion access and transgender rights have come into stark focus. Republican lawmakers have introduced a record number of bills in states and Congress that would restrict the rights of transgender people and the healthcare they receive. While the scope and magnitude of the legislation is unprecedented, the strategies being used are not. (John, 6/7)
NPR: How The SCOTUS 'Supermajority' Is Shaping Policy On Abortion, Guns And More
Constitutional lawyer Michael Waldman says that there's an increasing distance between the American people and the Supreme Court. He points out that Democrats have won the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections, but Republican presidents have appointed six of the nine justices now on the Supreme Court. "In a sense, the country is moving in one direction and, with this locked-in majority supermajority, the Court is moving fast in another direction," Waldman says. (Davies, 6/6)
