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Florida legislators on Wednesday approved abortion restrictions that include requirements for physicians similar to a Texas law currently under review by the Supreme Court and prohibited state funding for routine care at abortion clinics. The measure imposes regulations that could force clinics to close, provider Planned Parenthood said. Supporters argue it aims to protect women's health, while opponents called it an attack on groups assisting women in terminating pregnancies. (3/9)

The Florida Senate has passed a bill that would block abortion clinics from receiving state money for services like cancer screenings and require their doctors to have privileges at a nearby hospital. HB 1411, which passed the chamber 25-15, now heads back to the House for final passage, required after the Senate removed langu (Auslen, 3/9)

Indiana is poised to become the second state to ban abortions sought because a fetus has a genetic abnormality such as Down syndrome under a measure headed to Gov. Mike Pence for approval. Lawmakers on Wednesday approved the measure banning such abortions over the objections of many female legislators, including Republicans who say the bill goes too far and wasn't vetted enough before receiving approval in the House. In a statement, a Pence spokeswoman said the conservative Republican is "a strong supporter of the right to life" and said he will "give this legislation thoughtful consideration once it reaches his desk." (3/9)

South Carolina is on the cusp of passing a bill prohibiting nearly all abortions past 19 weeks of pregnancy, making it the latest of 15 states to pass restrictive bans whose constitutionality has yet to be ruled on by the U.S. Supreme Court. A compromise approved Tuesday by the Senate allows exceptions to the ban only if the mother's life is in jeopardy or the fetus can't survive outside the womb. That was crucial for passage in the Senate, where Democrats had blocked the legislation for years. The measure's limited definition of "fetal anomaly" means it would be illegal to abort a fetus with a severe disability if the child could live. (3/9)

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin on Wednesday vetoed a ban on a second-trimester abortion practice. The bill would ban dilation and evacuation method abortions unless the doctor has caused the death of the fetus. It would not ban the method in cases of medical emergency. The governor, a Democrat, cited concerns about constitutionality and patient safety. (3/9)

The Tennessee state Senate approved a bill Wednesday to provide easier access to birth control by allowing women 18 or older to obtain contraceptives directly from pharmacists. Women seeking birth control in Tennessee and most other states have to obtain a prescription from a physician. But if state Senate Bill 1677 becomes law, a woman could obtain a prescription by going directly to a pharmacist who meets provisions outlined in a a bill sponsored by Sen. Steve Dickerson, a Nashville Republican. (Ebert, 3/9)

Kansas hasn't cut off Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood even though Republican Gov. Sam Brownback declared two months ago that his administration would quickly end the funding, one of the organization's top officials said Wednesday. Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri President Laura McQuade told The Associated Press that services are still being provided to Medicaid participants — and state reimbursements are being made — at five clinics in Kansas and the Kansas City, Missouri, area. She said her group expected to have been notified by now by state health officials that the clinics were no longer considered Medicaid providers. (3/9)

The Missouri House is sticking with a plan to cut about $7.6 million from the University of Missouri system budget, and on Tuesday lawmakers voted to cut an additional $1 million from the Columbia campus. Lawmakers also amended the $27.3 billion state budget proposal to prevent state money from going to Planned Parenthood for services such as vaccinations and medical examinations. Missouri already prohibits state money from funding abortions. (3/9)