Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
ACLU: Texas Withholding Significant Statistics On Abortion In The State
With the U.S. Supreme Court poised to decide the biggest abortion case in nearly a decade, the ACLU of Texas is demanding that the Department of State Health Services 鈥渟top concealing鈥 abortion statistics for 2014 and make the information public. In a letter sent Wednesday to department Commissioner John Hellerstedt, the ACLU accused the state agency of purposely withholding statistics that would show patterns of abortion across the state in 2014, including the number of Texan women who had abortions, the procedures they used and the types of facilities they visited. (Pattani, 6/15)
In other news, a Kentucky court grants a temporary injunction against an abortion clinic, a judge in Florida sets a date to hear arguments on a major abortion law in the state and Planned Parenthood sues Mississippi聽鈥
A Kentucky appeals court on Wednesday granted Republican Governor Matt Bevin a temporary injunction against a Lexington abortion clinic his administration said was not properly licensed. In a 3-0 ruling, the Kentucky Court of Appeals overturned a March decision from a lower court judge that denied the governor an injunction against EMW Women's Clinic. In Wednesday's order, the judges said the state's Cabinet for Health and Family Services had the right to regulate how abortions were performed and how clinics were licensed. (Bittenbender, 6/15)
A Tallahassee federal judge will hear arguments June 29 on a request from Planned Parenthood to block parts of a major abortion law approved this year by Gov. Rick Scott and Florida lawmakers. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle issued an order Monday setting the date to hear arguments about whether to issue a preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order against the law, which is scheduled to take effect July 1. (6/15)
Planned Parenthood is suing Mississippi over a new state law that will ban Medicaid from spending money with any abortion provider. Records show that from July 2013 to August 2015, Mississippi Medicaid spent $439 with Planned Parenthood. The state could easily spend more than that to defend itself in the lawsuit. (6/15)