Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Texas Sued Over Abortion Ban By 5 Women Denied The Procedure
The New York Times: Five Women Sue Texas Over The State’s Abortion Ban
Five women who say they were denied abortions despite grave risks to their lives or their fetuses sued the State of Texas on Monday, apparently the first time that pregnant women themselves have taken legal action against the bans that have shut down access to abortion across the country since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The women — two visibly pregnant — plan to tell their stories on the steps of the Texas Capitol on Tuesday. Their often harrowing experiences will put faces to what their 91-page complaint calls “catastrophic harms” to women since the court’s decision in June, which eliminated the constitutional right to abortion after five decades. (Zernike, 3/6)
From Rhode Island, Kansas, and Idaho —
WJAR: Equality In Abortion Coverage Act Draws Hours Of Testimony At Rhode Island State House
There were hours of testimony from people for and against a bill to provide abortion coverage for state employees and Medicaid recipients at the Rhode Island State House Monday. The Equality in Abortion Coverage Act would eliminate bans on abortion coverage in the state. (Zamore, 3/7)
NPR: Kansas Lawmakers Might Direct Millions Of Dollars To Anti-Abortion Counseling Centers
Conservative lawmakers in Kansas want to provide millions of dollars to crisis pregnancy centers. It's an effort to rein in abortions after voters protected abortion rights. (Conlon, 3/6)
The Guardian: Artwork Referring To Abortion Removed From Idaho Public College Exhibition
A public college in Idaho is coming under pressure to explain why it has removed from an upcoming exhibition in its Center for Arts & History several artworks dealing with reproductive health and abortion. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Coalition Against Censorship have jointly written to Lewis-Clark State College expressing “alarm” at the decision to remove several pieces. Their letter says that the college’s response demonstrated the potential abuses of new laws that have come into effect in Idaho banning the use of public funds to “promote” or “counsel in favor” of pregnancy terminations. (Pilkington, 3/7)
From Georgia, California, and South Carolina —
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Study: Under New Georgia Law, About 9% Of Historical Abortions Eligible
Based on a look back at 11 years of abortions in Georgia, a new study has found only 9% of those pregnancies would have met the new 6-week cutoff for an abortion under the new state law that took effect in July 2022, according to a study released Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. (Hart, 3/6)
Sacramento Bee: ‘We’re Not Going Away:’ Anti-Abortion Rally At California Capitol Gathers Hundreds In Sacramento
Lisa Kennedy traveled Monday from her home in Auburn to attend the California March For Life rally at the state Capitol in downtown Sacramento and demonstrate her unwavering stance against abortion. ennedy, 55, was among a few hundred people participating in the rally. She said she would like to see more anti-abortion people to stand up and become visible. “I’m 100 percent pro-life, and I know that scientifically that abortion is the intentional killing of life from conception,” Kennedy said. “Whether it’s a wanted or unwanted baby, it’s still a baby. And I believe that wholeheartedly.” (Ahumada, 3/6)
WYFF 4: Greenville Woman Charged With Unlawful Abortion At 26 Weeks
A Greenville woman has been arrested and charged after allegedly terminating her pregnancy at 25 1/2 weeks. The current legal limit in South Carolina is 20 weeks. Greenville police said the coroner's office alerted them back in 2021, when a 33-year-old woman birthed a stillborn baby at almost 26 weeks. She was brought to St. Francis Hospital with labor pains and told staff there she had taken abortion medication on her own, officials say. In the state of South Carolina, abortions are to be done under medical supervision. A representative from the Greenville police said this is the first person they've ever charged with unlawful abortion. (Furtado, 3/6)
