Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Ohio Law Banning Down Syndrome Abortions 'Unconstitutional,' ACLU Says In Suit
The Hill: ACLU Sues To Block Ohio Law Banning Down Syndrome Abortions
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio, along with the ACLU Foundation, is suing to block a recently passed law that will ban abortions in the state on the basis of a fetal diagnosis of Down syndrome. The ACLU on Thursday filed the lawsuit requesting a temporary restraining order, calling the law "unconstitutional." (Hellmann, 2/15)
Reuters: Rights Group Sues To Block Ohio Down Syndrome Abortion Ban
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Cleveland abortion provider Preterm, seeks to delay enforcement of the law, which is scheduled to go into effect March 23.The law was passed by the state legislature and signed by Governor John Kasich last December. Kasich had previously called the law "appropriate." Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused when abnormal cell division results in an extra full or partial copy of chromosome 21. (Palmer, 2/15)
Meanwhile —
The Associated Press: Abortion-Rights Supporters Push Back Against Gains By Foes
Foes of abortion have pushed through several hundred state laws restricting access to the procedure over the past decade. This year, as never before, abortion-rights supporters are fighting back nationwide with proposals to protect and expand access to abortion and contraception. Successes are most likely in the dozen or so states where Democrats control policymaking. But the initiatives unfolding this year aspire to at least raise the issue of reproductive rights even in conservative states that have passed the toughest anti-abortion laws. (Crary, 2/15)
The Washington Post: Immigrant Rights Group In Email Says It Was Warned Not To Mention Abortion To Teens
A major legal services group for immigrant children told its lawyers nationwide not to discuss abortion access, even if minors in custody ask for help understanding their legal rights, for fear it would jeopardize a multimillion-dollar contract with the Department of Health and Human Services. The constraints on what government-funded lawyers can say to young detainees was contained in an email from the nonprofit Vera Institute of Justice, which said it acted after a phone call with an HHS employee. Vera’s instruction to lawyers comes as the Trump administration has tried in court to block access to abortion procedures for undocumented teens in federal custody. (Marimow and Sacchetti, 2/15)
