Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Texas Abortion Law Hits Miscarriage Care; Georgia Ban Now In Effect
The Texas Tribune: Texas Laws Say Treatments For Miscarriages, Ectopic Pregnancies Remain Legal But Leave Lots Of Space For Confusion
Treatments for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies are still legal under the state’s abortion ban, according to state law and legal experts. But the statutes don’t account for complicated miscarriages, and confusion has led some providers to delay or deny care for patients in Texas. (Mendez, 7/20)
The Washington Post: Woman Says She Carried Dead Fetus For 2 Weeks After Texas Abortion Ban
“My doctor had said that since the heartbeat bill had just passed, she didn’t want me to do a D and C. And she asked that I try to miscarry at home,” said [Marlena] Stell, 42, of Conroe, Tex. “It just was emotionally difficult walking around, knowing that I had a dead fetus inside.” Stell, a beauty influencer with about 1.5 million YouTube subscribers, is sharing her story in the weeks after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade as a reminder that the restrictive abortion laws adopted by states such as Texas could affect those who have suffered miscarriages. (Bella, 7/20)
On other abortion news from across the states —
Georgia Public Broadcasting: Federal Appeals Court Rules Georgia Abortion Ban Can Immediately Take Effect
A federal court ruled Wednesday that Georgia’s 2019 abortion law can take effect after the Supreme Court abolished nearly half a century of abortion rights protections. Georgia’s law, which bans most abortions when fetal cardiac activity is detected — usually around six weeks of pregnancy — has been held up in court for more than three years. (Bunch, 7/20)
AP: North Dakota's Lawyers Say July 28 Abortion Ban Should Stick
A motion seeking to block enforcement of a so-called trigger law that would shut down North Dakota’s lone abortion clinic should be denied because the law was administered properly and the lawsuit on the constitutionality of the ban is unlikely to succeed, the state attorney general’s office says. (Kolpack, 7/20)
AP: Abortion Rights Group Opposes Effort To Restore Arizona Ban
Planned Parenthood Arizona said in a legal filing Wednesday the courts need to “harmonize” the state’s two different laws on abortion after Attorney General Mark Brnovich moved last week to reinstate an almost complete ban on the procedure dating back more than a century. Brnovich on July 13 asked a court in Tucson to lift an order that had blocked the earlier ban. The newly conservative U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned the Roe v. Wade decision, leaving it up to states to decide how to regulate abortions. (Snow, 7/21)
Axios: Providers Challenge Arizona's Pre-Roe, Near-Total Abortion Ban
Planned Parenthood Arizona on Wednesday filed a challenge to the state's attorney general's motion to let a near-total, pre-Roe abortion ban take effect. (Gonzalez, 7/20)
The 19th: Crisis Pregnancy Centers To Deter People From Abortions Open Near New Mexico Clinics
With Roe v. Wade overturned, abortion providers are flocking to New Mexico, one of the largest southwestern states that protects abortion access. So-called “crisis pregnancy centers” are following their lead. (Luthra, 7/20)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: St. Louis County Council Rejects $1.25 Million Abortion Fund, Other Federal Aid Bills
The St. Louis County Council, during a contentious three-hour meeting Tuesday, turned back an effort to use $1.25 million in federal pandemic aid to help women get out-of-state abortions and also provide services for mothers with infants amid a national shortage of formula. (Benchaabane, 7/20)
The Hill: Minnesota Republican Scrutinized For Pro-Life Speech: ‘Our Culture Loudly But Also Stealthily Promotes’ Abortions
Former NFL player and Minnesota lieutenant governor candidate Matt Birk (R) is facing scrutiny after saying women have abortions in pursuit of their careers. Speaking at the National Right to Life Convention in Georgia last month, Birk said that American culture “stealthily promotes” abortions by “telling women they should look a certain way” and saying that they should have careers instead of children. (Oshin, 7/20)
