Montana Supreme Court Declares Abortion Restrictions Unconstitutional
Monday's ruling concluded a multiyear legal challenge over three reproductive rights restrictions. Also in reproductive health news: Wisconsin now has five abortion clinics; Ohio Republicans want to bring back a 24-hour waiting period for abortions; Texas isn't budging on abortion bans; and more.
Montana Free Press:
Montana Supreme Court Strikes Down 2021 Abortion Restrictions
A majority of Montana Supreme Court justices ruled Monday that a trio of abortion restrictions passed by Republican lawmakers in 2021 were unconstitutional, concluding a yearslong legal challenge brought by health care providers and reproductive rights supporters. If allowed to take effect, the bills would have curtailed abortions after 20 weeks, added regulations to medication abortions and required providers to offer patients the chance to view an ultrasound and listen to a fetal heart tone before filling out a state-written form about their decision. Planned Parenthood of Montana sued to block the legislation from taking effect soon after Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bills into law. They have been sidelined in court since 2021. (Silvers, 6/9)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Abortion Clinic Opens In Milwaukee, Becoming Wisconsin's Fifth
Care for All Community Clinic, Wisconsin's fifth and Milwaukee's third abortion clinic, will begin seeing patients on Tuesday, June 10. The clinic, located at 756 N. 35th St. on the city's near west side, initially will offer abortion care up to 14 weeks, including medication abortions up to 11 weeks and six days. The independent, nonprofit clinic will be offering abortion care up to the state limit of 21 weeks and six days within three months. (Van Egeren, 6/10)
Columbus Dispatch:
Ohio Republicans Want 24-Hour Abortion Waiting Period Despite Judge's Injunction
Ohio Republicans want to reinstate a 24-hour waiting period for abortions, despite a judge's order blocking it. The proposal from Reps. Mike Odioso, R-Green Twp., and Josh Williams, R-Sylvania Twp., would require doctors to provide patients seeking an abortion with information about the "physical and psychological risks" at least 24 hours before an abortion pill or procedure. (Balmert, 6/10)
The Texas Tribune:
Texas’ Abortion Bans Are Here To Stay Despite Challenges
Legal challenges have failed, elections haven’t moved the needle and the fight for a narrow clarification shows how immovable these laws are. (Klibanoff, 6/10)
The Independent:
Federal Worker Charged With Capital Murder In Girlfriend’s Forced Abortion Case
A Justice Department employee in north Texas has been charged with murder for allegedly spiking his pregnant girlfriend's drink with an abortion drug. Justin Anthony Banta, a 38-year-old I.T. worker at the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, was arrested on Friday after a months-long investigation by sheriffs in Parker County, part of the Fort Worth metro area. Authorities said Banta's then-girlfriend had accused him of putting crushed-up abortion pills in her drink last October after she refused to terminate her pregnancy, leading to the death of her six-week-old fetus two days later. (Dodds, 6/9)
The Guardian:
Women And Men Diverge More Than Ever On Support For Abortion Rights, Poll Shows
Three years after the fall of Roe v Wade and months after an election that heavily focused on the fight over abortion rights, men and women have never diverged more on their support for access to the procedure, according to new polling from Gallup released Monday. Sixty-one percent of women now identify as “pro-choice”, but only 41% of men say the same, Gallup found. The same percentage of women identified as “pro-choice” in 2022, just after the decision to overturn Roe was leaked, but at the time, 48% of men also did so. (Sherman, 6/9)
In other reproductive health news —
AP:
Can $1,000 At Birth Change A Child’s Future? A Republican Proposal Aims To Find Out
When children of wealthy families reach adulthood, they often benefit from the largesse of parents in the form of a trust fund. It’s another way they get a leg up on less affluent peers, who may receive nothing at all — or even be expected to support their families. But what if all children — regardless of their family’s circumstances — could get a financial boost when they turn 18? That’s the idea behind a House GOP proposal backed by President Donald Trump. (Balingit, 6/9)
The Washington Post:
Mothers Report Worse Mental Health In New Report
More American mothers reported worse mental health in 2023 than in 2016 in a national survey, though many said they were in good health, according to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine. ... In 2023, 26 percent of the mothers who responded said their mental health was “excellent,” compared with 38 percent of mothers in 2016. While 19 percent of mothers reported good mental health in 2016, some 26 percent said the same in 2023. (Docter-Loeb, 6/9)
