News This Week: 6/5 - 6/11
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This week, the Louisiana state legislature sent several bills further restricting access to abortion to Gov. John Bel Edwards.
- If signed into law, S.B. 342 would amend the state’s trigger ban to inflict higher fines and longer prison sentences on doctors who provide abortion in the state if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
- S.B. 388 would create criminal penalties for the sale, delivery, marketing, advertising, distribution, and importing of medication abortion. The availability of mailing abortion care will become all the more important if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Gov. Edwards has signaled his intention to sign both bills.
- Oklahoma lawmakers have already poised themselves to come back for special session considerations after the Supreme Court rules in the Jackson Women’s Health Organization case.
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Late last week, the New York state legislature passed the most comprehensive package of interstate protections for abortion providers in the country.
- The package includes legislation that would protect abortion providers from a myriad of repercussions for providing care to patients from states where abortion is prohibited, including: arrest, extradition, medical malpractice suits, misconduct charges, and more.
- Governor Kathy Hochul has indicated she will sign it.
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Last Friday, more than 70 Democratic House members introduced the Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health for Military Servicemembers (MARCH Act), which would improve access to abortion in the military.
- Current federal law prohibits the Pentagon from funding abortions or allowing abortions to be provided at military health care facilities, with few exceptions.
- Research from the Center shows that these restrictions make accessing abortion extremely difficult for servicemembers and veterans.
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Supreme Court opinion days (Monday and Wednesday)
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Florida 15-week abortion ban hearing (June 27)
- A state court judge will hear arguments and testimony from witnesses in a challenge to Florida’s 15-week abortion ban. Plaintiffs are seeking for the law to be blocked while litigation continues.
- The case was brought by the Center and partners on behalf of abortion providers in the state.
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This week, the European Parliament (EP) called for the United States and other governments to protect abortion rights in a resolution that expressed grave concern about the global threats to abortion rights if the U.S. Supreme Court acts to revoke the constitutional right to abortion. The resolution is the first response by European or global policy makers on the risk of possible backsliding of abortion rights ahead of the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
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