Louisiana Supreme Court Maintains Hold On Abortion Ban For Now
The high court said the case should first go through district and appellate courts. In Kentucky, two abortion clinics head to court to try to block that state's near-total ban.
AP:
Louisiana High Court Leaves Abortion Bans On Hold
The Louisiana Supreme Court rejected the state attorney general’s request to allow immediate enforcement of state laws against most abortions in a 4-to-2 ruling late Wednesday. The majority said only that the court declined to get involved “at this preliminary stage.” (McConnaughey, 7/7)
AP:
Kentucky Abortion Clinics In Court To Block New State Law
Attorneys for Kentucky’s two abortion clinics sought an injunction in court Wednesday to block the state’s near-total ban on the procedure, one of numerous such efforts across the country following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. Jefferson Circuit Judge Mitch Perry issued a temporary restraining order blocking the state’s abortion ban last week, and the two clinics, both in Louisville, resumed performing abortions. If granted, the injunction would suspend the state law while the case is litigated. (Lovan, 7/6)
Stateline:
Abortion Rights Hacktivists Strike States With Bans
An abortion rights hacktivist group says it launched cyberattacks against Arkansas and Kentucky state governments and leaked files from their servers to protest their bans on abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The group, which calls itself SiegedSec, said it hacked the two states because it was angry about their bans. (Bergal, 7/6)
From Indiana and Ohio —
Indianapolis Star:
Indiana Abortion-Rights Activists Gather Outside Statehouse In Protest
A protest rally planned for the special session was moved to July 25, but dozens of abortions rights activists gathered Wednesday anyway to share their thoughts in an effort to let lawmakers know how they feel. Chants of “Pro life is a lie, you don’t care if women die,” “Hey, hey, mister, mister, get your laws off my sister” and “Silence is violence” could be heard in unison throughout the crowd. (Kane, 7/6)
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer:
1,100-Plus Ohio Doctors Band Together To Defend Reproductive Rights
Ohio physicians are speaking out in response the the overturning of Roe. v. Wade. Over 1,100 doctors have joined together to form a new organization, Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, dedicated to championing the reproductive freedom of their patients. (Kroen, 7/6)
Columbus Dispatch:
How Many Ohio Minors Seek An Abortion? Fewer And Fewer
A young Ohio girl who was sexually assaulted and had to travel out of state for an abortion wasn't the only one, but she's one of a shrinking number of minors getting the procedure. The 10-year-old girl sought care in Indianapolis following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on June 24 to overturn Roe v. Wade and Ohio's move later that day to ban abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. (Filby, 7/6)
From Montana, Florida, and Virginia —
KHN:
Montana Clinics That Provide Abortions Preemptively Restrict Pill Access For Out-Of-State Patients
The four states bordering Montana have “trigger laws” in effect or pending now that the U.S. Supreme Court has ended federal protections for abortion, making conservative Big Sky Country an unlikely haven for women seeking to end their pregnancies. But Montana’s potential to become an abortion refuge has been diminished — not by the lawmakers and governor whose attempts to restrict abortions have been stymied by the state constitution’s right to privacy, but by the operators of at least four of the state’s five clinics, which are preemptively limiting who can receive abortion pills. (Houghton and Zionts, 7/7)
Los Angeles Times:
More Than Half Of Floridians Oppose Abortion Bans. Will They Push Back At The Polls?
For Wendy Vargas, the recent elimination of a constitutional right to abortion — and the banning of the procedure in many Republican-controlled states — is an affront to her values as both a woman and an American. “This is supposed to be a first-world country,” said the 32-year-old Colombian immigrant and independent voter who leans Republican. “We’re supposed to have more freedoms here.” (Jarvie, 7/6)
Fox5 DC:
Supreme Court Abortion Decision Leads To Drug Access Issue For Virginia Woman
A Virginia woman says her doctor has stopped prescribing a medication she uses for symptoms of lupus in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision on abortion access. Becky Schwarz was diagnosed with Lupus in 2020 and got COVID last year leading to a diagnosis of long COVID. She relies on a drug called Methotrexate to treat her symptoms, and now her doctor is saying they can't prescribe it at the moment. (7/6)
On travel bans and Airbnb —
USA Today:
Abortion Travel Costs Paid By Employers? Some State Want To Stop That
After the U.S. Supreme Court revoked the federal right to an abortion that's been in place for half a century, companies like Amazon, Disney, Apple and JP Morgan pledged to cover travel costs for employees who live in states where the procedure is now illegal so they can terminate pregnancies. But the companies gave scant or no details on how they will do this and it's not clear if they will be able to — legally — while protecting employees' privacy and keeping them safe from prosecution. (Ortutay and Durbin, 7/6)
Bloomberg:
Airbnb Hosts Navigate Legal Maze Amid State Abortion Bans
When the US Supreme Court ruled to end federal protection for abortions last month, many people wanted to find a way to help. Some hosts on Airbnb Inc. offered to open their homes to guests who needed to travel to states that will still allow the procedure, similar to how the vacation-rental company has been generous with a policy to shelter refugees in the past. (Tobin and Ceron, 7/6)
