Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Nebraska Bans Abortions After 12 Weeks
AP: Nebraska Governor Signs 12-Week Abortion Ban, Limits On Gender-Affirming Care For Minors
Republican Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen signed a bill Monday that bans abortion at 12 weeks of pregnancy and restricts gender-affirming medical care for people younger than 19. The abortion ban takes effect immediately, while the ban on gender-affirming care takes effect on Oct. 1. The hybrid measure ties together restrictions that Republicans have pursued across the U.S. (Beck and Funk, 5/22)
More abortion updates from across the U.S. —
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Abortion Protections Bill Heads To Nevada Governor
A bill codifying protections for out of state abortion patients is headed to Gov. Joe Lombardo’s desk after the Assembly voted along party lines to pass the legislation Monday. Lawmakers voted 27-14 to approve Senate Bill 131, a bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, D-Las Vegas, that would bar any Nevada agency from cooperating with authorities from anti-abortion states who are seeking to prosecute women for traveling to Nevada to get an abortion. (Avery, 5/22)
Bloomberg: Illinois Aims To Protect Abortion Travelers From Out-Of-State Police
Lawmakers are advancing pioneering legislation that would protect people traveling to Illinois seeking abortions from being tracked by out-of-state police. The bill, approved by the Illinois Senate Friday night, would prohibit local police from sharing data collected by license plate readers with out-of-state law enforcement departments that seek to use it in abortion-related investigations. (Holder, 5/22)
NPR: More Texas Women Sue The State Over Its Anti-Abortion Laws
Eight more women are joining a lawsuit against the state of Texas, saying the state's abortion bans put their health or lives at risk while facing pregnancy-related medical emergencies. The new plaintiffs have added their names to a lawsuit originally filed in March by five women and two doctors who say that pregnant patients are being denied abortions under Texas law despite facing serious medical complications. The Center for Reproductive Rights, which is representing the women, is now asking for a temporary injunction to block Texas abortion bans in the event of pregnancy complications. (McCammon, 5/22)
The Washington Post: S.C. Sen. Sandy Senn Says Male Colleagues Want Six-Week Abortion Ban To ‘Control’ Women
The uncomfortably personal stalemate in South Carolina reflects a broader divide between GOP lawmakers and voters. (Paquette, 5/22)
Missouri Independent: Lawsuit Over Missouri AG Push To Inflate Cost Of Abortion IP Heads To Trial Next Month
A Cole County judge set June 7 to hear arguments in a lawsuit demanding the state finalize its work on an abortion-rights initiative petition so proponents can begin collecting signatures. Circuit Court Judge Jon Beetem scheduled a bench trial in the case during a hearing last week. The ACLU of Missouri filed its lawsuit earlier this month after The Independent revealed a behind-the-scenes push by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to convince the state auditor’s office to increase the projected cost of the abortion amendment. (Hancock, 5/22)
Also —
Politico: How Tuberville's Blockade Of Pentagon Nominees Could End
Washington’s second-tightest knot — after the debt ceiling — is Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s hold on roughly 200 senior civilian and uniformed Pentagon leaders. Tuberville, who is blocking the nominees in protest over the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy, has gotten so much attention that if he caves he risks losing face. ... Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) has said Tuberville should take the more straightforward path of seeking an amendment vote on the Pentagon travel policy via the National Defense Authorization Act, the Pentagon’s annual policy bill. It’s not a great deal for either side, but it’s probably the most likely one. (Gould and O'Brien, 5/22)
KFF Health News: Small, Rural Communities Have Become Abortion Access Battlegrounds
In April, Mark Lee Dickson arrived in this 4,500-person city that hugs the Utah-Nevada border to pitch an ordinance banning abortion. Dickson is the director of the anti-abortion group Right to Life of East Texas and founder of another organization that has spent the past few years traveling the United States trying to persuade local governments to pass abortion bans. (Rodriguez, 5/23)
In other news about reproductive care —
Bay Area News Group: California Woman Left Comatose During Pregnancy Treatment Awarded $17.4 Million
A Riverside County jury on Friday, May 19, awarded more than $17.4 million to a San Jacinto woman who was left comatose after treatment for a high-risk pregnancy at Riverside Community Hospital, her attorney said. (Rokos, 5/22)
