Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
For The 7th Time, House Democrats Try Bill To Protect Federal Abortion Rights
House Democrats on Thursday reintroduced聽the Women鈥檚 Health Protection Act, which聽would enshrine federal abortion rights, among other protections to abortion access. The bill, re-introduced in the House for the seventh time,聽would legally protect providing and accessing abortion care nationwide聽for patients and abortion providers. It also includes proposed protections for interstate travel for abortion care, as well as for people who assist others in accessing abortion care. (Fernando, 3/30)
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries kicked off the press conference introducing the Women鈥檚 Health Protection Act by taking aim at 鈥渆xtreme Maga Republicans鈥 he said want to control women鈥檚 health care choices. 鈥淭he Women鈥檚 Health Protection Act is so critical because extreme Maga Republicans want to impose a nationwide abortion ban. We鈥檙e gonna stop them,鈥 Jeffries said. 鈥淓xtreme Republicans want to criminalize abortion care across the nation. We鈥檙e gonna stop them.鈥 (Stein, 3/30)
Abortion news from Maryland, Florida, Idaho, and Illinois 鈥
Maryland voters will decide next year whether to enshrine the right to abortion in the Maryland Constitution, after the House of Delegates voted Thursday to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot. The House voted 98-38 for a bill that already has cleared the state Senate by the three-fifths margin needed to bring the question before voters in 2024. A simple majority would be needed by voters to approve it. (Witte, 3/30)
As lawmakers consider barring abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, Attorney General Ashley Moody's office late Wednesday urged the Florida Supreme Court to reject more than three decades of legal precedents that have protected abortion rights in the state. (3/30)
In an effort to address complaints about an exodus of Idaho physicians, who fear felony charges for providing pregnancy care, an Idaho bill would add exceptions to the state鈥檚 abortion ban. But pregnancies that cause health risks isn鈥檛 one of them. (Suppe, 3/30)
The Evanston Police Department is looking to provide enhanced reproductive health protections by vowing to restrict outside agencies from investigating reproductive health issues within EPD鈥檚 jurisdiction, Commander Ryan Glew told City Council on March 27. (Schmidt, 3/28)