Telemedicine Abortions Can Not Be Outlawed In Kansas, Judge Rules
Kansas legislators tried three times in 2018 to thwart a doctor's ability to prescribe pregnancy-ending medication during video conferences. In other news on women's reproductive issues, Ohio lawmakers are unable to undo a veto on the heartbeat bill and contraceptives gain approval across the country.
The Associated Press:
Kansas Judge Rules Telemedicine Abortions Can Continue
A judge ruled Monday that Kansas cannot stop telemedicine abortions, thwarting the latest attempt by state lawmakers to prevent doctors from providing pregnancy-ending pills to women they see by remote video conferences. District Judge Franklin Theis ruled that a law barring telemedicine abortions and set to take effect in January has no legal force. During an earlier hearing, Theis derided the law as an "air ball" because of how lawmakers wrote it. (12/31)
Kansas City Star:
Kansas Judge Rules Telemedicine Abortions Can Continue
That law was challenged in a lawsuit filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of Trust Women Wichita, which operates a clinic that performs abortions and provides other health care services. ...The center argues that banning telemedicine abortions violates the state constitution by placing an undue burden on women seeking abortions and singling out abortion for special treatment when state policies intend to encourage telemedicine. Kansas has no clinics that provide abortions outside Wichita and the Kansas City area. (Hanna, 1/1)
The Associated Press:
Heartbeat Abortion Bill Veto Survives Day Of Ohio Overrides
Statehouse Republicans in Ohio came up a single vote shy Thursday of reversing a same-party governor's veto and imposing one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. The outcome marked a victory for outgoing Republican Gov. John Kasich, a prospective 2020 presidential contender who has vetoed the so-called heartbeat bill twice in as many years. Kasich argued in a veto message last week that the law would be declared unconstitutional, but only after saddling the state with a costly court battle. (12/27)
The New York Times:
Long-Acting Contraceptives Gaining Acceptance Among U.S. Women
Almost two-thirds of women of childbearing age in the United States use contraceptives, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost all American women turn to contraception at some point in their lives. But at any given time, many may not be using it for various reasons: because they are pregnant or trying to be, for example, or are not sexually active. (Bakalar, 12/21)
