Texas Senate Votes Unanimously To Clarify Abortion Ban Exceptions
The bill now heads to the Texas House for approval. At the same time, the Texas Senate is cracking down on abortion pills. Other states making abortion news include North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
AP:
Texas Senate OKs Effort To Clarify Medical Exceptions Under State's Abortion Ban
The Texas Senate approved changes Tuesday to the state’s strict abortion ban that both Republicans and Democrats say would clarify medical exceptions and has drawn support from women who were told they could not end their pregnancies despite life-threatening complications. The unanimous passage of the bill in the GOP-controlled Senate — by a 31-0 vote — marked a rare moment of bipartisanship on an issue that for years has roiled the state Capitol as Texas Republicans have defended one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bans and launched criminal investigations into alleged violations. (Lathan, 4/29)
The Texas Tribune:
Wide-Ranging Crackdown On Abortion Pills Passes Texas Senate
Anyone who manufactures, mails or delivers abortion pills to someone in Texas could be sued for $100,000 under a bill that preliminarily passed the Senate on Tuesday. The bill, considered the most wide-ranging crackdown on abortion-inducing drugs in the country, is expected to face a harder road in the House. The bill expands on the private enforcement mechanism Texas used to outlaw most abortions in 2021 by allowing private lawsuits against anyone who mails or delivers abortion pills, including medication manufacturers. It also expands when and how people can sue for wrongful death after an abortion, creates criminal and civil penalties for paying for an abortion, and goes after internet providers that host information on abortion pills and financial services that facilitate transactions. (Klibanoff, 4/29)
More abortion news from Tennessee, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and elsewhere —
KFF Health News:
Trump Restores Title X Funding For Two Anti-Abortion States — While Wiping It Out Elsewhere
The Trump administration quietly restored federal family planning money to Tennessee and Oklahoma, despite court rulings that the states weren’t entitled to funds because they refused to provide women information about terminating pregnancies or abortion referrals on request. The decision by the Department of Health and Human Services to restore millions of dollars for the two states came as it simultaneously withheld nearly $66 million from clinics in the Title X program elsewhere. (Pradhan, 4/30)
North Carolina Health News:
NC Emerges As Southern Hub For Abortion Access Amid New Regional Restrictions
North Carolina has emerged as a vital access point for abortion care in the South in the wake of a wave of restrictions in neighboring states since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. Nationwide, the Tar Heel state served the second highest number of out-of-state patients in 2024 — behind only Illinois — a new report on national abortion volumes found. (Crumpler, 4/30)
The Hill:
Trump Administration's Abortion Restrictions: Key Moves In Second Term
President Trump steadily chipped away at abortion access during the first 100 days of his second term. Trump campaigned on leaving abortion decisions to the states, and has so far made no push to outlaw the procedure on a national level. But since he returned to office in January, he and his administration have taken steps to support anti-abortion activists and restrict access to abortion care not only in the United States, but around the world. (O’Connell-Domenech, 4/29)
In other reproductive health news —
Minnesota Now:
M Health Fairview To Remove Race As A Factor In Pregnancy, Maternal Health Screenings
M Health Fairview says it’s found a way to help eliminate racial and ethnic bias in pregnancy and delivery care by removing race as a factor for various screenings and tests related to pregnancy. By July, all pregnant patients at M Health Fairview will be universally screened for various maternal and fetal conditions. That includes diseases that are usually prominent in a certain racial group, like sickle cell disease or spina bifida. (Moini and Roth, 4/29)
The 19th:
Democratic Women Lawmakers Hit Back At White House Proposals To Raise Birth Rates
Democrats are slamming policy proposals the Trump administration is reportedly considering that aim to raise birth rates in the United States and encourage women to have children, arguing they should instead enact paid leave and expand the current child tax credit to better support mothers and families. (Panetta, 4/29)
