Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Louisiana Senate Passes Bill To Ban Unprescribed Abortion Pill Possession
Politico: Louisiana Is Set To Make Possessing Abortion Pills Without A Prescription Punishable By Up To 10 Years In Prison
Louisiana lawmakers on Thursday approved legislation making the possession of abortion pills without a prescription a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. It now heads to the desk of GOP Gov. Jeff Landry, who has not publicly weighed in on the legislation but is expected to sign it. (Messerly, 5/23)
San Francisco Chronicle: Newsom Signs Emergency Bill To Aid Arizona Abortion Patients, Doctors
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Wednesday that will give Arizona doctors temporary, emergency licenses to perform abortions in California in the wake of an Arizona Supreme Court decision outlawing the procedure that was based on an 1864 law. The legislation, SB233 (co-written by Democratic state Sens. Nancy Skinner of Berkeley and Cecilia Aguiar-Curry of Winters) will allow licensed Arizona doctors in good standing to provide abortions and abortion-related care to Arizona patients traveling to California through Nov. 30. It went into effect immediately. (Garofoli, 5/23)
The 19th: Rep. Ayanna Pressley Introduces Resolution Intersecting Disability Justice And Reproductive Rights
Historically, the disability and reproductive rights movements have operated separately, “just ignoring each other,” as one advocate put it, as they pursued aims that at times felt contradictory: While one movement fought for full abortion access, the other sought for people to stop ending pregnancies where disabilities were detected. A new House resolution announced Thursday by Rep. Ayanna Pressley highlights shifts in the movements’ relationship accelerated by the end of federal abortion rights and growing acknowledgement of common ground: bodily autonomy and self-determination. (Luterman, 5/23)
Houston Chronicle: What Does The Texas Maternal Mortality Committee Do?
The Texas Legislature created the maternal mortality committee in 2013 after a rise in deaths among pregnant women nationally and statewide. Research shows that a large portion of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. The Texas group, formally known as the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Committee (MMMRC), is tasked with identifying deaths, reviewing the contributing factors and making recommendations that reduce mortality. The group also reports on “near misses,” or cases in which pregnant women nearly died from a complication. (Gill, 5/23)
KFF Health News' 'What The Health?' Podcast: Anti-Abortion Hard-Liners Speak Up
While Republican candidates in many states downplay their opposition to abortion, the most vehement wing of the movement, which helped overturn Roe v. Wade — those who advocate prosecuting patients, outlawing contraception, and banning IVF — are increasingly outspoken. ... Join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. (Rovner, 5/23)
