Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Ohio Supreme Court To Hear Abortion Case Over State's 6-Week Ban
Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Supreme Court To Hear Arguments About Ban On Most Abortions
As Ohioans prepare to vote on an abortion rights measure this fall, the Ohio Supreme Court will review whether to reinstate a ban on most abortions. (Balmert, 9/26)
The Guardian: Ohio Supreme Court Battle Over Six-Week Abortion Ban Begins
Arguments in the case arrive just weeks before Ohio will become the only state in the United States to vote directly on abortion in 2023. On 7 November, voters will have the chance to decide whether to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution. If the Ohio supreme court rules to reinstate the state’s six-week ban, which is currently paused, it could throw the election – and abortion providers across the midwest – into chaos. (Sherman, 9/27)
On abortion law in other states —
AP: Anti-Abortion Groups Demand Liberal Wisconsin Prosecutors Charge Abortion Providers Despite Ruling
A coalition of anti-abortion organizations on Tuesday demanded that prosecutors in Wisconsin’s two largest counties bring charges against abortion providers who have resumed practicing following a court ruling that consensual abortions are legal in the state. Wisconsin Right to Life, Wisconsin Family Action and Pro-Life Wisconsin held a news conference in the state Capitol to call for Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne and Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm to prosecute abortion providers in their counties. (Richmond, 9/26)
Arizona Republic: Abortion Access Fight Moves From Red States To Blue States
The sanctuary in Grace Covenant Reformed Church was packed. People stood shoulder to shoulder wherever they could – near the stained glass windows depicting scenes from the Bible, behind the neatly lined rows of chairs that serve as pews, against a wall covered in crosses made from painted wood, wire, glass and ceramic red chiles. ... Residents of Clovis, a town of some 40,000 people a mere 20-minute drive to the Texas state line, crammed into this little brick building that night to discuss a plan of action to ban abortion. (Ebbers and Kavathas, 9/26)
The Boston Globe: A Massachusetts Reproductive Rights Organization Expands Into N.H.
Reproductive Equity Now announced on Tuesday that it is moving into both New Hampshire and Connecticut as a part of its goal to make the region “a beacon for abortion access,” the organization’s president, Rebecca Hart Holder, said. “Granite Staters share a deep commitment to reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy, and dignity in health care, but recent attacks on our health care show us that the state is only one election away from eroding New Hampshire and our region’s reproductive health access,” she said. (Gokee, 9/26)
Hartford Courant: Connecticut Joins First Regional Model For Abortion Freedoms
With reproductive freedoms at risk across the U.S., abortion rights activists announced Tuesday that Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire will form the nation’s first regional model for reproductive health care advocacy. Pro-Choice Connecticut will sunset this month to join Massachusetts-based Reproductive Equity Now as it expands into Connecticut and New Hampshire, Liz Gustafson, director of Pro-Choice Connecticut and future Connecticut state director for Reproductive Equity Now, said at a press conference outside the State Capitol Tuesday. (Cross, 9/26)
From the campaign trail —
Newsweek: As Trump Faces Abortion Heat, GOP Senate Candidates Seek Middle Ground
Former President Donald Trump came under heat from anti-abortion groups after dodging questions during a recent "Meet The Press" interview on whether he'd support a national abortion ban and calling Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' law banning the procedure after six weeks a "terrible thing." As the overwhelming GOP presidential front-runner, Trump faces the same burden that Republican Senate candidates running for office in swing states do—striking a balance on the issue that appeals to moderates without alienating the party's conservative base. (Rouhandeh, 9/26)
