Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Washington State Is First To Stock Up On 'Insurance Supply' Of Mifepristone
NPR: Washington Officials Say They Have 30,000 Doses Of Mifepristone Ready To Go
Washington state officials have stocked up on a key abortion drug in preparation for the possibility that it could become much more difficult to access nationwide, pending the outcome of a federal lawsuit brought by anti-abortion-rights groups. Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, says he ordered the Washington Department of Corrections to use its pharmacy license to buy 30,000 doses of mifepristone, an estimated three-year supply for patients in Washington state. The pills were received on March 31. (McCammon, 4/4)
Abortion updates from Kansas and Texas —
AP: Kansas OKs Bill That Penalizes Doctors For Some Abortions
Doctors accused of not providing enough care to infants delivered alive during certain kinds of abortion procedures in Kansas could face lawsuits and criminal charges under a bill that won final approval Tuesday in the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature. The legislation faces an uncertain fate in a legal and political climate that’s made Kansas an outlier on abortion policy among states with GOP-led legislatures. The bill applies not only to “botched” or “unsuccessful” abortions but also when doctors induce labor to deliver a fetus that is expected to die within minutes or even seconds outside the womb, which often occurs because of a severe medical issue. (Hanna, 4/4)
The Texas Tribune: Texas Senate OKs Bill To Crack Down On Prosecutors Avoiding Abortion Laws
A bill intended to rein in district attorneys who decline to pursue certain cases preliminarily passed in the Senate on Tuesday. The bill, a priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, is part of a larger effort to limit the power of elected prosecutors, especially in Texas’ largest, left-leaning counties. Some district and county attorneys in Texas have said they will not prosecute people accused of violating the state’s near-total abortion bans. There’s also conflict over whether prosecutors will pursue allegations of election fraud, as well as cases involving first-time drug offenders or low-level theft. (Klibanoff, 4/4)
From Maine and Indiana —
AP: Maine Lawmakers To Consider Bills To Expand Abortion Access
Maine lawmakers are preparing to take up several proposals in the coming weeks to expand abortion access, including one by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills to allow women in Maine to get abortions later in pregnancy if deemed necessary by a medical provider. Current state law bans abortions after a fetus becomes viable outside the womb, at roughly 24 weeks. The governor’s bill would allow later abortions with a doctor’s approval. (4/4)
New York Magazine: The Pro-Abortion-Rights Professor Under Attack At Notre Dame
Tamara Kay has endured a vicious harassment campaign since she briefly hung a poster on her office door offering to share health care information with students, and she says Notre Dame won’t take adequate security measures to help curb the threats. (Gonzalez-Ramirez, 4/3)
KHN: Listen To The Latest ‘KHN Health Minute’
The KHN Health Minute this week looks at doctors offering vouchers to bring down the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables, and how new abortion restrictions are complicating efforts to reduce preterm births. (4/4)
