Year: 2023

Iowa conservatives are pessimistic about the fate of the new 6-week abortion ban

"Just weeks ago, Iowa conservatives lit up with excitement when Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law a new six-week abortion ban — an event she orchestrated shortly after the state Supreme Court ruled that an earlier six-week ban would remain blocked. But much of the excitement has dimmed amid questions over whether a conservative justice, whose recusal in the first case led to that outcome, will again sit it out. Such a decision could, once more, scramble conservative efforts to keep the strict abortion law in place...."
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Montana voters rejected an anti-abortion measure. State GOP lawmakers passed a similar bill anyway.

"In the months following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision that gave states the power to ban abortion, voters in a half-dozen states spoke on the issue — and, in every case, chose to uphold abortion rights or reject an attempt to restrict them. Most recently, Ohio voters on Tuesday rejected a Republican-led effort to make it more difficult to change that state’s constitution, which would have set a higher bar for an abortion rights ballot initiative this fall. But the will of the electorate didn’t stop Republican lawmakers in one state, Montana, from passing a version of the anti-abortion proposal that voters…
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Extreme Temperatures Threaten Effectiveness of Pregnancy Tests and Birth Control

"Extreme heat has already made pregnancy more dangerous. Now, it is also complicating efforts to control when and how someone becomes pregnant: Record heat waves across the country could threaten access to effective pregnancy tests, condoms and emergency contraception pills. All of these items can sustain serious damage in extreme heat, rendering them ineffective when used. And all have become critical resources for people living in states with abortion bans and who are trying to avoid pregnancy. In those states, few options exist to terminate an unintended pregnancy other than acquiring abortion pills online or traveling out of state for care.…
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How Wisconsin’s pre-Civil War abortion ban remained untouched during decades of political battle

"Last summer, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, the legality of abortion was sent back to states — immediately reviving Wisconsin's pre-Civil War abortion ban.  Few if any states reverted to laws as old as Wisconsin’s. Over the nearly 50 years the ban was unenforceable, why had lawmakers never revoked it? In some ways, the answer is simple: There was never the political will. And in the years immediately following the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, the political lines when it came to abortion were blurred. It would take nearly a decade for the major parties in Wisconsin,…
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Abortion rights activists set their sights on Arizona after Ohio win

"A top progressive group wants to build on the huge success Democrats are having with abortion-related ballot initiatives — this time in Arizona. Fresh off their 14-point victory in Ohio on Tuesday, progressive groups are eyeing the Southwest battleground state as the next place to ensure abortion rights after the fall of Roe v. Wade. Arizona currently bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy...."
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Abortion rights have won in every election since Roe v. Wade was overturned

"Anti-abortion advocates scored a big win on June 24, 2022, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. But since then, their luck seems to have run out. Abortion has been on the ballot in seven states since that landmark court decision one year ago and in each instance, in red states and blue states, anti-abortion advocates have lost...."
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Contraception — Research Paper from the Natl Library of Medicine

"Contraception counseling and provision are vital components of comprehensive health care. An unplanned pregnancy can be particularly challenging for patients with chronic illness. Internal medicine physicians are uniquely positioned to assess pregnancy readiness and provide contraception, as they often intersect with pregnancy-capable patients at the moment of a new diagnosis or when providing ongoing care for a chronic medical condition...."
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Office of the Attorney General Files Appeal to Texas Supreme Court, Blocking District Judge’s Ruling and Leaving Abortion Law in Place

"In response to a Texas judge ruling Friday that said the state’s abortion ban must allow exceptions without doctors fearing the threat of criminal charges, the Office of the Attorney General filed what is called a Notice of Accelerated Interlocutory Appeal directly to the Texas Supreme Court...."
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Colorado medical boards propose not banning ‘abortion reversal’ treatment

"Democratic state legislators passed a law this year to prohibit so-called "abortion reversal" treatment, moving to make Colorado the first state in the nation to ban the controversial practice.  But that plan is now facing a major hurdle from state medical boards. Senate Bill 190, signed in April, classifies abortion reversal treatment as unprofessional conduct, subjecting medical workers who provide the treatment to professional discipline. But the bill allowed abortion reversal to be reclassified as professional conduct if the state medical, nursing and pharmacy boards all agree that it’s a valid medical practice.  In a draft rule, the boards did not…
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New law to make small change to Texas’ near-total abortion ban

"Today, Texas has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. Under state law, abortions are legal if the patient's life is at risk, but some doctors say that's not clearly defined. State law says doctors who perform abortions could face life in prison and fines of up to $100,000. That’s why Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, worked with a bipartisan group of lawmakers to clarify the law. “The purpose of [House Bill] 3058, the new bill, was to ensure that there was an affirmative defense for physicians, that they would not have to be concerned about liability for using their…
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Idaho health care providers can refer patients for abortions out of state, judge rules

"A federal judge has ruled that it would violate Idaho medical providers’ free speech rights to sanction them for referring patients to out-of-state abortion services, rejecting the state attorney general’s interpretation of Idaho’s abortion ban. Idaho’s law makes it illegal to perform or attempt to perform an abortion, a crime punishable by two to five years in prison. It also makes it unlawful for health care professionals to assist in the provision or attempted provision of one, with the penalty being the suspension or loss of their medical license...."
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Idaho AG can’t prosecute providers for abortion referrals, federal judge orders in injunction

"A federal judge in Idaho has granted a preliminary injunction barring Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador from taking legal action against medical providers who refer patients across state lines for abortion care and denied Labrador’s request to dismiss the case. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill issued a 60-page opinion detailing his reasoning for the order on Monday evening. Winmill said the medical providers who sued Labrador established there was a genuine threat of prosecution that resulted in the chilling of their speech, which he called “a well-established concrete injury.” While the case proceeds, no charges can be brought by…
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