Different Places, Very Different Policies On The ‘Morning After’ Pill

An Illinois court rules on pharmacies' right to sell - or not - the 'morning after pill' while New York City expands the pill's availability. 

Reuters: Illinois Cannot Make Pharmacists Give 'Morning After' Pill: Court
An Illinois appellate court Friday affirmed a lower court finding that the state cannot force pharmacies and pharmacists to sell emergency contraceptives - also known as "morning after pills" - if they have religious objections. In 2005, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich mandated that all pharmacists and pharmacies sell "Plan B,"... In 2011, an Illinois judge entered an injunction against the rule (Wisniewski, 9/21).

The Associated Press: Morning-After Pills Available At 13 NYC Schools
The New York City Department of Education is making the morning-after-pill available to high school girls at 13 public schools. The DOE says girls as young as 14 will be able to get the Plan B emergency contraception without parental consent. Parents have been notified about the CATCH pilot program and how their daughters can opt out of it (9/24).

Meanwhile, in California, Gov. Jerry Brown signs a number of bills related to access to birth control and abortion -

San Francisco Chronicle: Gov. Brown Signs Women's Health Bills
Gov. Jerry Brown signed a litany of bills this weekend, . Brown was praised by women's health organizations for his approval of AB2348 by Assemblywoman Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles. The bill creates standard procedures so that nurse- midwives, nurse practitioners and physician assistants may prescribe and dispense birth control pills, and is expected to improve access to contraceptives in rural areas of California where it is more difficult to get to a doctor (Lagos, 9/23). 

Kaiser Health News tracked other coverage related to California and access to birth control and abortion.