Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Law Regulating Noise Level Outside Health Facilities Upheld After Supreme Court Rejects Case
The Associated Press: Supreme Court Rejects Anti-Abortion Pastor's Appeal On Noise
The U.S. Supreme Court won't hear an appeal from a pastor who challenged a state law's noise limit that was used to restrict his anti-abortion protest outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Portland, Maine. The justices offered no comment Monday in rejecting the appeal from the Rev. Andrew March, who sued after he said Portland police officers repeatedly told him to lower his voice while he was protesting outside the clinic in Maine's largest city. (4/16)
St. Louis Post Dispatch: St. Louis Aldermen Say No To Protest-Free ‘Buffer Zones’ Around Health Care Facilities
A controversial proposal to ban protesters within an 8-foot radius of a health care facility's driveway was defeated Monday by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen on a 9-15 vote on the last day of session. Similar “buffer zones” have been enacted in cities such as New York and Chicago, with backers arguing they offer a clearer avenue to charge those who impede the flow of traffic in and out of facilities such as Planned Parenthood. The Supreme Court has struck down more extreme measures creating zones as wide as 35 feet but has upheld smaller zones such as the one proposed for St. Louis. (Bott, 4/16)
The Associated Press: Pennsylvania House Votes To Ban Abortions For Down Syndrome
A proposal to prohibit abortions in Pennsylvania when the sole reason is that the fetus has or may have Down syndrome is headed to the state Senate after passing the House by a comfortable margin. The Republican-majority House voted Monday 139 to 56 for a bill that supporters say would protect a vulnerable population. Opponents argue it would violate the right of women to make their own decisions about abortion. (Scolforo, 4/16)
