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The Virginia General Assembly passed two bills that repeal the ban keeping some health insurance plans sold in the state from covering abortions. House Bill 1896, introduced by Del. Sally L. Hudson, D-Charlottesville, and Senate Bill 1276, introduced by Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan, D-Richmond, loosen restrictions through Virginia’s health insurance exchange. The exchange offers health insurance to approximately 270,000 Virginians who are self employed or don’t have access to insurance through employers, according to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2/24)

South Carolina just became the latest state to pass a “heartbeat bill,” banning abortion at eight weeks. Lawmakers characterized the bill as relatively moderate — and touted its exceptions for rape, incest, or a fetal anomaly “incompatible with sustaining life after birth.” Last Friday, a federal court temporarily blocked the law from going into effect. Even so, the new law shows that abortion restrictions early in pregnancy aren’t going away. If anything, making an early abortion a crime has become the new normal in red states. And now the Supreme Court has six conservative members — including three Trump nominees — who may overturn the core holding of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision recognizing a right to choose abortion before viability. In fact, laws like South Carolina’s are an invitation for the court to abandon Roe. If that happens, over half the states would implement laws that go even further and criminalize most or all abortions. (Rebouché and Ziegler, 2/24)

Samuel Robinson, a 9-year-old with autism spoke into the microphone at the legislative building Tuesday morning, calling out greetings, “Hi Tina,” to good-natured laughter from lawmakers and families in the press conference room at the North Carolina General Assembly building. (Hoban, 2/24)

Missouri’s Administrative Hearing Commission has awarded two applicants licenses to start growing medical marijuana, more than a year after state officials initially rejected their requests. The commission on Tuesday awarded Heya Kirksville and Heya Excello cultivation licenses, according to orders issued by Commissioner Sreenivasa Rao Dandamudi. (Suntrup, 2/23)

Disruptive events such as a natural disaster or loss of a job can affect individuals, as well as their families, even when the circumstances are short in duration. In the midst of a global pandemic that has disrupted the lives of nearly everyone in myriad ways — from being shut off from loved ones to long periods spent in isolation — and has lasted for a year the impact has been massive. (Mauldin, 2/23)

KHN: DeSantis Advances Questionable Link Between Lockdowns And Despair

For months, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has boasted about his state’s “open for business” strategy in dealing with covid-19 and how it’s working better than so-called lockdown states. Unlike in some other states, all Florida public schools are open for in-person learning, restaurants and bars have few restrictions, and the state has barred local governments from penalizing individuals for not wearing a mask in public. (Galewitz, 2/24)