Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Idaho Adults Who Harbor Or Transport Girls For Abortions Can Be Punished
A panel of federal judges on Monday largely upheld Idaho’s “abortion trafficking” law, a measure passed in the 2023 legislative session meant to punish an adult who helps a minor seek an abortion in another state or obtain medication that will induce an abortion. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ opinion reverses U.S. Magistrate Judge Debora K. Grasham’s November 2023 decision, which blocked enforcement of the law after Idaho attorney Lourdes Matsumoto and two advocacy organizations, the Northwest Abortion Access Fund and the Indigenous Idaho Alliance, filed a lawsuit against the state. The plaintiffs alleged the law restricts freedom of speech, the right to travel and the right to freely associate, and said it was too vague to be constitutional. (Maldonado, 12/2)
Wisconsin law prohibits the use of telehealth for abortion services. But a new study shows a number of Wisconsinites are receiving abortion medication from other states. Data from the organization #WeCount showed an average of about 130 orders for abortion medication being shipped to Wisconsin from providers in other states each month from last September to this June. (Bowden, 12/2)
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, California Democrats are developing new plans to strengthen the state’s abortion protections. Attorney General Rob Bonta [on Monday] announced two legislative proposals aimed at safeguarding medication abortion and enforcing the state’s Reproductive Privacy Act, which ensures individuals have the right to make decisions about reproductive care without government interference. (Hwang, 12/2)
State lawmakers will gavel in a special session Monday focused on a proposed $25-million litigation fund to respond to President-elect Donald Trump’s anticipated attacks on California policies on civil rights, climate change and abortion access. Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked the Legislature to approve the funding for the Department of Justice and other agencies so the state can file lawsuits against the federal government and defend against litigation from the Trump administration. (Jany, 12/2)
