States Consider Abortion Regulations
Ohio, Arkansas, Texas are mulling restrictions, while Colorado bats down two bills that would have tightened rules on the procedure in the state.
Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Ohio Right To Life Seeks To Ban Most Abortions After 13 Weeks
Ohio abortion opponents will lobby state lawmakers to ban a common second trimester abortion procedure as part of its mission to chip away at abortion rights until the practice is illegal nationwide. Ohio Right to Life, the state's largest anti-abortion group, wants to eliminate dilation and evacuation, an abortion method typically used between 13 and 24 weeks of pregnancy. The proposed "Dismemberment Abortion Ban" is one of six pieces of abortion legislation the group plans to work on with lawmakers in the GOP-controlled General Assembly. (Borchardt, 2/9)
The Associated Press:
Arkansas Considers Banning 'Sex-Selection' Abortions
Arkansas would become the eighth state to ban abortions based solely on whether a woman wants to have a girl or a boy under a measure a House panel approved Thursday that is part of a Republican agenda that started with the party's takeover of the Legislature four years ago. Opponents said the measure is unconstitutional. Supporters said the ban on so-called sex-selection abortions would have a minimal effect because most abortions occur before the gender is known. (2/9)
Texas Tribune:
Lawmakers Mull Their Strategies As Another Abortion Battle Looms
Battle lines are drawn in this round of the Legislature's perennial fight over reproductive health care. Abortion rights groups and Democratic lawmakers are mapping out their strategy as Republicans work on legislation to further restrict the procedure in Texas. (Evans and Pollock, 2/9)
Denver Post:
Colorado House Panel Rejects Two GOP Abortion Bills, With A Third On Deck
Colorado House Democrats on Thursday rejected two Republican-sponsored abortion bills and were expected to beat back one more, the most restrictive of which would have made it a crime for a physician to perform an abortion in most cases. The hearing stretched late into the night, with testimony from dozens of people, including medical experts, activists on both sides and women who had had abortions and later regretted it. Ten hours into the hearing, just two of the three bills had been voted on. (Eason, 2/9)
In other news —
St. Louis Public Radio:
Discussing The Restrictions Placed On Abortion In Missouri And Their Personal Impact
Even after the Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade legalized abortion at a federal level in 1973, states have since reserved the right to place regulations and restriction on the process — and Missouri has several such rules... In addition to the threats of cuts in federal funding to organizations like Planned Parenthood, hospitals in Missouri and other healthcare centers that perform abortions are also facing cuts to their Medicaid funding from the state due to a budget amendment introduced last year, as St. Louis Public Radio’s Durrie Bouscaren reported last month. (Moffitt, 2/9)
WBUR:
Other Countries Aim To Fill Aid Shortfall Caused By U.S. Abortion Rule
After President Trump blocked U.S. aid money from supporting any group that provides or "promotes" abortion in other countries, The Netherlands announced it would launch a fundraising initiative to support any affected organizations. Now, several other countries — including Sweden, Finland, Belgium and Canada — have signaled their participation. (Domonoske, 2/9)
