Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Montana Group Begins Signature Drive To Put Abortion On November Ballot
The Hill: Montana Abortion Rights Group Launches Ballot Initiative
A reproductive rights group in Montana launched an initiative Tuesday to include a state constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights on the ballot in the general election this November. On Tuesday, Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights announced that it has officially launched its signature drive to get the required 60,000 signatures from Montanans by June 21 to qualify the measure on the ballot. (Fortinsky, 4/16)
The Wall Street Journal: Arizona Lawmakers Expected To Make Bipartisan Push To Repeal Abortion Ban
Amid mounting pressure to change the narrative on abortion, several state GOP lawmakers could join with Democrats on Wednesday in an effort to repeal Arizona’s 160-year-old near-total ban. If they are successful, the Democratic governor has said she would sign the rollback. “I’m a little bit cautiously optimistic that barring extreme shifts we’re going to be able to get this done,” said Democratic state Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, the sponsor of the repeal legislation. Stahl Hamilton said she has been in touch with Rep. Matt Gress, a Republican, about gathering support on his side. Gress declined to comment but last week led an unsuccessful effort to repeal the ban. (Collins, 4/17)
NBC News: Mexican State Of Sonora Closest To Arizona, Bans Most Abortions, Creating Regional Void
Though American and Mexican women have long relied on one another for abortion care, the impending restrictions in Arizona are set to create a regional lack of access that spans into the neighboring Mexican state of Sonora — where abortion is also banned with minimal exceptions. Such stringent abortion restrictions have left organizers scrambling to support women seeking care on both sides of the border. (Espadas Barros Leal and Linares, 4/16)
The Texas Tribune: Texas, Idaho Abortion Bans Test Against Federal Emergency Medicine Rule
For almost 40 years, American hospitals have operated under a federal law that says they must treat and stabilize any patient experiencing a medical emergency. But now, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act finds itself on a collision course with conservative states that want to ban abortion in nearly all cases. (Klibanoff, 4/17)
The Independent: Marine Who Firebombed California Abortion Clinic Sentenced To 9 Years In Prison
A white supremacist California veteran who firebombed an abortion clinic and had plans for other hate-fueled terror attacks across the state was sentenced to nine years in prison on Monday. Chance Brannon, 24, of San Juan Capistrano, was part of a group who attacked a Planned Parenthood facility in Costa, Mesa, California on March 13. Brannon was an active member of the US Marine Corps stations at Camp Pendleton at the time of the attack, according to federal officials. (Marcus, 4/16)
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Military.com: Expanding VA's Fertility Treatment Coverage To Vets Without Service Injuries Too Costly, Secretary Says
Expanding coverage of fertility treatments to veterans whose infertility is not caused by a service-connected injury would lead to "substantial" cost increases for the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Secretary Denis McDonough told lawmakers Tuesday. During an appearance before the House Appropriations Committee subpanel in charge of the VA budget, McDonough was asked by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., why the VA does not cover in vitro fertilization for veterans suffering from infertility unless it is caused by a service-connected injury. (Kheel, 4/16)
