Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Military Will Not Change Its Abortion Policy, Pentagon Says
NBC News: Pentagon Says Supreme Court's Roe Ruling Won't Affect Abortions On Military Facilities
The Pentagon on Tuesday said that last week's Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade won't impact service members, spouses and dependents who use military treatment facilities. The memo, sent by Gil Cisneros, the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, came in response to Friday's Supreme Court ruling that overturned the 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade that had guaranteed abortion rights under the Constitution. (Kube and Richards, 6/28)
From Nevada, Massachusetts, and North Carolina —
AP: New Nevada Abortion Order Helps Blunt Outside Prosecution
Gov. Steve Sisolak signed an executive order Tuesday he says will help guard against outside prosecution of anyone who receives an abortion or other reproductive care in Nevada, and better protect healthcare workers who provide the services. His executive order comes as fellow Democratic governors in several states have vowed to help protect abortion rights after the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade last week. (6/29)
The Boston Globe: State Lawmakers Poised To Shield Providers Of Abortion, Transgender Care From Bounty-Style Laws In Other States
Legislative leaders appear to have reached broad agreement to pass a measure aimed at shielding providers of abortion and transgender health care in Massachusetts from bounty-style laws being enacted by other states. House Speaker Ronald Mariano said Tuesday said his chamber is expecting to pass a wide-ranging reproductive rights bill that codifies part of an executive order Governor Charlie Baker signed on Friday and goes further to shield patients and providers from out-of-state legal action. ”We have Roe on the books. We codified it,” Mariano said. “Now we want to protect the people who have to use it.” (Ebbert, 6/28)
WRAL.Com: Sad, Disgusted But Resolute, North Carolina Abortion Clinics Expanding Hours, Hiring In Aftermath Of Roe Decision
A Woman’s Choice, an abortion care provider with locations in Raleigh, Greensboro and Charlotte, is planning to expand hours and hire additional staff in anticipation of an influx of patients from other states. “We are anticipating an increase of patients coming to North Carolina to get care from surrounding states,” said Amber Gavin, A Woman’s Choice vice president of advocacy and operations. On Monday, WRAL News spoke with Gavin following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last week to end constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years. (6/27)
From California —
Los Angeles Times: California Will See Rush Of Out-Of-State Abortion Seekers, Study Says
California will play a key role in providing abortion services to people living in states where the medical procedure is banned or severely limited after the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, according to a recent report from UCLA. Between 8,000 and 16,100 more people will make the journey to California each year for abortion care, and many will come to Los Angeles County, the UCLA School of Law’s Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy said in a study released this month. (Solis, 6/28)
AP: California Budget Won't Cover Out-Of-State Abortion Travel
While Gov. Gavin Newsom has pledged to make California a sanctuary for women seeking abortions, his administration won’t spend public money to help people from other states travel to California for the procedure. Newsom’s decision, included in a budget agreement reached over the weekend, surprised abortion advocates who have been working with the governor for nearly a year to prepare for a potential surge of patients from other states coming to California for abortions now that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. (Beam, 6/29)
People in Mexico and Spain offer help to Americans —
AP: Mexican Networks Ramp Up Help For US Women Seeking Abortions
Abortion pills smuggled into the United States from Mexico inside teddy bears. A New York home used as a pill distribution hub. A small apartment just south of the U.S.-Mexico border converted into a safe place for women to end their pregnancies. Networks of Mexican feminist collectives working with counterparts in the United States are ramping up their efforts to help women in the U.S. who are losing access to abortion services to end their pregnancies. (Verza, 6/28)
NBC News: How An American On Vacation Survived After Malta Denied Her A Life-Saving Abortion
An American woman vacationing in Malta who was denied a life-saving abortion while miscarrying was able to get care in Spain, the same day Roe v. Wade was overturned in the United States. ... The couple and the accompanying medical team safely landed in Majorca, Spain, where Prudente was immediately transported to a nearby hospital where she says she was welcomed with open arms. (Campoamor, 6/28)
