Ky. Lawmakers Send Governor Bill With New Abortion Restrictions
The bill would ban abortions after 15 weeks and require women seeking medical abortions to see a physician in person. Meanwhile, in Maryland where Democrats control the Statehouse, lawmakers voted to expand access to abortion.
Louisville Courier Journal:
Omnibus Kentucky Abortion Bill Passes House Over Shouts Of Protesters
A sweeping bill with multiple new restrictions on abortion won final passage Tuesday in the General Assembly after shouting protesters disrupted the state Senate and seven of eight Senate Democrats walked out rather than vote on House Bill 3. The Senate passed the so-called "omnibus" bill on a 29-0 vote, and a few hours later, the House gave final approval on a vote of 74-19. The bill now goes to Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat who supports abortion rights. He could veto HB 3, but Republicans hold super-majorities in both the House and Senate and have enough votes for an override. (Yetter, 3/29)
AP:
Kentucky Lawmakers Pass 15-Week Abortion Ban
The proposed 15-week ban is modeled after a Mississippi law under review by the nation’s high court in a case that could dramatically limit abortion rights in the United States. ... Much of the debate Tuesday revolved around the proposed regulation of dispensing of abortion pills, requiring women to be examined in person by a doctor before receiving the medication. Opponents called the measure another intrusion into women’s medical decisions. (Schreiner, 3/30)
In abortion news from Maryland, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and elsewhere —
AP:
Maryland Lawmakers Pass Bill To Expand Access To Abortion
The Maryland General Assembly passed a bill Tuesday that would expand access to abortion by ending a restriction that only physicians provide them and requiring most insurance plans to cover abortion care without cost. The Senate gave the measure final passage on a 28-15 vote. That sends the measure to Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, whose office did not immediately comment on his position on the bill. The governor has said he personally opposes abortion, though he has called the issue settled law in the state. (Witte, 3/30)
The Texas Tribune:
Abortion Nonprofits Say Texas State Rep. Briscoe Cain Defamed Them In “Cease-And-Desist” Letter
A group of nonprofits that help people access abortions are threatening to sue a Texas lawmaker for defamation after he called them “criminal organizations” in letters he posted to social media. State Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, sent cease-and-desist letters to eight of these abortion funds earlier this month, ordering them to “immediately stop paying for abortions performed in Texas or face criminal prosecution.” Cain cites an older state law that says “whoever furnishes the means for procuring an abortion knowing the purpose intended is guilty as an accomplice,” and faces two to five years in prison. (Klibanoff, 3/29)
The 19th:
Oklahoma's Texas-Inspired Abortion Ban Could Devastate Region's Access
Since their state passed its six-week abortion bill in September, Texans have headed north to Oklahoma in droves. But though it has emerged as a critical access point, Oklahoma is on the verge of passing its own strict abortion ban, and clinics in nearby states are bracing for a new surge in patients seeking care. Many worry that without Oklahoman clinics, they will be unable to account for everyone hoping to obtain an abortion. (Luthra, 3/29)
AP:
GOP-Led Missouri House Votes To Defund Planned Parenthood
The GOP-led Missouri House on Tuesday advanced a bill to defund Planned Parenthood, ban fetal tissue donations and put additional restrictions on abortion. The House gave the measure initial approval in a voice vote Tuesday. It needs another House vote to move to the Republican-led Senate. The measure also bans fetal-tissue donation and would allow family members to file wrongful death lawsuits if babies are born after an abortion and then die. (3/30)
KHN:
As Red States Push Strident Abortion Bans, Other Restrictions Suddenly Look Less Extreme
What is the ultimate goal of the anti-abortion movement? It might be surprising. To the casual observer, the obvious answer is that abortion opponents want to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. Before Roe, states decided whether and when abortion should be legal. It’s possible opponents of abortion will see that wish granted. Based on comments made by six conservative justices during arguments, the high court this year is expected to either weaken significantly or throw out the nearly 50-year-old precedent of Roe by upholding a Mississippi law banning the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy. (Rovner, 3/30)
In other reproductive health news —
The 19th:
Two-Thirds Of Military Families Report Challenges To Having Children
For more than two decades, Kim Hunt was constantly on the move. Alongside her husband, now a retired Navy officer, Hunt moved 16 times across the United States and Europe. The couple had two daughters — pregnancies that were planned around whether her husband was on shore duty or sea duty — but they knew many other active-duty service members who struggled to conceive at all. Now, as associate director of research and training at Blue Star Families, a nonprofit founded in 2009 by military spouses, Hunt helps create, collect and analyze the largest annual military lifestyle survey. (Padilla, 3/29)
