Maine Moves To Allow Emergency Abortions Later In Pregnancy
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills is expected to sign a newly-approved bill, which AP says will make Maine one of the least-restrictive states for abortion laws. Separately, a study shows abortion drugs may be safe to use even after the first trimester.
AP:
Maine Governor Expected To Sign Bill Easing Restrictions On Abortions Later In Pregnancy
The Maine Legislature gave final approval Thursday to a proposal to expand access to abortions later in pregnancy, sending the bill to the governor for her signature. Once signed into law by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, as expected, Maine will have one of the least restrictive abortion laws in the country. (Sharp, 7/6)
More abortion news —
The New York Times:
Abortion Drugs May Be Safe Even After The First Trimester, Study Suggests
An overwhelming majority of women were able to end unwanted pregnancies with abortion medications on their own and without additional medical procedures, even if they were well beyond the first trimester, according to a report published on Thursday. The study was based on the experiences of 264 women who were nine to 16 weeks pregnant in Argentina, Nigeria and an unnamed country in Southeast Asia where abortion is illegal. Almost half of the women took only one drug, misoprostol, instead of the standard two-drug regimen, mifepristone and misoprostol. (Rabin, 7/6)
The 19th:
House Republicans Are Baking Abortion Restrictions Into Spending Bills
Nearly all of the recent spending bills that have cleared the Republican-controlled House Appropriations Committee have included measures to restrict access to abortions, setting up a fight with Senate Democrats, who’ve pledged to block such measures during looming negotiations to fund the government. (Barclay, 7/6)
The 19th:
States Push To End Diaper Taxes As Abortion Rights Disappear
Over the past 10 years, distribution at Doug Adair’s Nashville diaper bank has swelled from a couple of thousand diapers a year to nearly 3 million. Running the bank, Adair has learned and relearned the critical role diaper access plays for families. But it hasn’t always felt like most other people knew that. “I think more about diapers than anybody my age that is not wearing them — yet,” said Adair, a 68-year-old former mortgage banker turned diaper banker who got into this line of work because, in his words, he asked the second most expensive question he has ever asked in his life: “What can I do to help?” (Carrazana, 7/6)
Arizona now allows OTC birth-control pills for adults —
AP:
Arizona Governor Makes Contraceptive Medications Available Over The Counter At Pharmacies
Adults in Arizona can now obtain contraceptive medications over the counter at a pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription under a governor’s order announced Thursday. Gov. Katie Hobbs said the rule will go into effect immediately. It applies to self-administered birth control such as hormonal and oral contraceptives, and patients 18 or older need only complete a screening and a blood pressure test. (7/6)
In other reproductive health news —
KFF Health News:
Idaho Drops Panel Investigating Pregnancy-Related Deaths As US Maternal Mortality Surges
On July 1, Idaho became the only state without a legal requirement or specialized committee to review maternal deaths related to pregnancy. The change comes after state lawmakers, in the midst of a national upsurge in maternal deaths, decided not to extend a sunset date for the panel set in 2019, when they established the state’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee, or MMRC. (Schachar, 7/7)
