Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Six-Week Abortion Ban Coming To South Carolina
The New York Times: South Carolina Senate Passes 6-Week Abortion Ban
The South Carolina Senate passed a ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy on Tuesday, after a filibuster led by five women senators, including three Republicans, failed to block it. The bill will drastically reduce access to abortion in a state that has become an unexpected destination for women seeking the procedure as almost every other Southern state has moved toward bans. The legislation now heads to Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican who has said he will sign it. Abortion-rights advocates said they would challenge the ban in court, where it would test a State Supreme Court ruling in January that struck down a previous six-week ban and found a right to abortion in the State Constitution. (Zernike and Sasani, 5/23)
Reuters: Abortion Pill Maker Seeks To Keep Challenge To W. Va. Abortion Ban Alive
Lawyers for abortion pill maker GenBioPro Inc on Tuesday urged a West Virginia federal judge to allow them to proceed with their challenge to the state's near-total abortion ban, claiming it is invalid because it interferes with the federal government's approval of mifepristone. (Wiessner, 5/23)
Daily Beast: Abortion Pill Vigilantes Are Operating A Covert Network From Mexico To Republican States
Denny spends many of their days sitting on their bed packing small pills into plastic ziplock bags, and then into brown envelopes, ready to be mailed out to people seeking abortion medications in states like Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. The pills are mifepristone and misoprostol—two medications that are the subject of intense political and legal debate. (Muldowney, 5/23)
USA Today: 'A Toxic Issue': How Voters Are Forcing GOP Contenders To Talk About Abortion Ahead Of 2024
When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, allowing an 1849 ban on abortion to take effect in Wisconsin, resident Judi Stadler found it nonsensical. "It's nothing short of ridiculous," the 72-year-old retired school counselor said. "We're right now functioning under the original law from the 1800s."Voters like Stadler pushed abortion to the forefront in the midterms and are set to do the same ahead of the 2024 elections − forcing pro-life candidates, and even possible contenders, to vary their approach in how they campaign on the issue of abortion. (Looker, 5/24)
KFF Health News: Abortion Bans Are Driving Off Doctors And Closing Clinics, Putting Basic Health Care At Risk
The rush in conservative states to ban abortion after the overturn of Roe v. Wade is resulting in a startling consequence that abortion opponents may not have considered: fewer medical services available for all women living in those states. Doctors are showing — through their words and actions — that they are reluctant to practice in places where making the best decision for a patient could result in huge fines or even a prison sentence. And when clinics that provide abortions close their doors, all the other services offered there also shut down, including regular exams, breast cancer screenings, and contraception. (Rovner, 5/24)
In Planned Parenthood news —
The Hill: Planned Parenthood To Cut Staff At National Level In Strategy Shift
Planned Parenthood announced a major strategy shift Tuesday that would prioritize investments in local and state affiliates and result in a significant cut to the workforce at the national level. (Fortinsky, 5/23)
