Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Push To Hold Public Vote On Missouri's Abortion Law Faces Uphill Climb
St. Louis Public Radio: Ashcroft’s Delay Makes Vote On Missouri’s 8-Week Ban 'Impossible,' Abortion-Rights Group Says
The abortion-rights group No Bans on Choice faces an "impossible" task to collect enough signatures on a petition that would allow voters to overturn a Missouri law that bans most abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, officials from the committee said Wednesday. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft on Wednesday released the wording for the ballot initiative after a months-long legal battle. (Fentem, 8/14)
The Associated Press: Public Vote On New Missouri Abortion Law Faces Time Crunch
Abortion-rights advocates beginning Wednesday can start collecting signatures to get a public vote on a new law restricting abortions, but they say a short deadline leaves them with an “impossible task.” Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft on Wednesday certified a petition to put the law on the 2020 ballot. That gives opponents of the law two weeks to gather the roughly 100,000 signatures needed to put it to a public vote. Most of the law, which bans abortions at and after eight weeks of pregnancy, takes effect Aug. 28. (Ballentine, 8/14)
The Associated Press: Wisconsin Republicans Pushing Broader Birth Control Access
Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin found themselves in the unusual position Wednesday of breaking with anti-abortion groups and advocating for a bill that broadens birth control access, an area where Democrats typically lead. Republicans could undermine a key Democratic campaign issue by passing the bill, but they also find themselves in conflict with groups that are typically their allies. Pro-Life Wisconsin and Wisconsin Family Action, a leading anti-abortion group, oppose the measure on moral and ethical grounds, saying increasing access encourages premarital sex and the odds of unintended pregnancies and abortions. (Bauer, 8/14)
