Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Maine To Allow Medical Professionals Other Than Doctors Perform Abortions With Goal Of Expanding Access For Rural Women
The Associated Press: Maine Expands List Of Abortion Providers
Maine is making it easier to get an abortion with the governor's signing of a bill Monday to allow medical professionals who are not doctors to perform the procedure. The bill, which Democratic Gov. Janet Mills introduced herself, will go into effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns, which is expected in mid-June. (6/10)
The New York Times: Maine’s New Abortion Law Will Allow Non-Doctors To Perform Procedure
The governor’s office said only three cities in Maine — Augusta, Bangor and Portland — have publicly accessible health care centers where a patient can get an aspiration abortion, which is a procedure that involves suction. The new law could make it easier for more rural clinics to offer the same service. Most states require that aspiration abortions be performed by a physician, but a handful also allow other medical professionals to administer the procedure. Those include California, Colorado and some of Maine’s neighbors in the Northeast. (Fortin, 6/10)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 'Heartbeat' Law Makes Abortion A Top Issue For Georgia In 2020
As she announced her bid for Congress last week, state Sen. Renee Unterman made only two passing references to her desire to promote “a culture that honors life.” But it was lost on no one in the crowd, including the Buford Republican herself, that abortion would be a dominant theme in the hotly contested suburban Atlanta race. (Hallerman and Bluestein, 6/10)
WBUR: Democratic Lawmaker Explains Why She Supports Louisiana Abortion Restrictions
Louisiana is the latest state to join Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Missouri in passing new restrictive abortion laws. But unlike other states, Louisiana’s law had support from Democrats. Gov. John Bel Edwards, who signed the heartbeat bill, is the U.S.’s only anti-abortion Democratic governor. (Young, 6/10)
The Associated Press: Judge Rejects Indiana AG's Bid To Block Abortion Clinic
A federal judge has rejected an attempt by Indiana's attorney general to prevent what would become the state's seventh abortion clinic from opening in northern Indiana. U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker on Friday denied Attorney General Curtis Hill's request for an immediate stay to prevent the South Bend clinic — which would perform medication-induced abortions for women who are up to 10 weeks pregnant — from opening until Indiana's appeal is considered, the South Bend Tribune reported. (6/10)
