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Top State Stories 6/27
WI: Wisconsin governor vows to offer clemency to doctors providing abortions
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers declared that if doctors are prosecuted under Wisconsin’s abortion law, he’ll offer them clemency. Under the state’s 1849 law that may go into effect, Wisconsin doctors are banned from performing abortions except when saving the life of the woman.
NM: Roe decision could have ripple effect on New Mexico health care
New Mexico has been at the forefront of providing abortion procedures for many out-of-state patients in recent months, but health centers in the state say they are bracing for an even larger number of individuals after the overturning of Roe v. Wade—an increase that may have ripple effects across other health services.
MN: Minnesota governor issues order protecting out-of-state abortion patients
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order that he said will offer legal protection to people from out of state who come to Minnesota for reproductive health services. Since abortion is still legal in Minnesota, the state will likely become a destination for people from surrounding states seeking care.
OH: Federal judge allows blocked Ohio ‘heartbeat bill’ to take effect, banning abortion around 6 weeks
A federal judge dissolved a two-year-old block on Ohio’s “heartbeat” anti-abortion law, allowing it to go into effect. That means that Ohio women will no longer be allowed to have abortions in the state when fetal cardiac activity is detected. That’s around six weeks, or before many women know they are pregnant.
MA: Massachusetts governor signs order to protect health workers who provide abortions to patients from out-of-state
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a rare Republican elected official who supports abortion rights, signed an executive order that he says will “protect reproductive health care providers who serve out-of-state residents.”
CA: California looks to enshrine abortion rights in state constitution
California state lawmakers are expected to put a state constitutional amendment on the ballot that would explicitly protect reproductive rights. The amendment would go to California voters in November for approval.
IL: Illinois governor calls special legislative session on reproductive rights
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker swiftly called for Illinois lawmakers to return to Springfield to strengthen the state’s already formidable abortion rights laws while candidates and activists across the political spectrum prepared for the issue to become central in campaigns this fall.
NJ: New Jersey to consider legal protection for out-of-state abortion seekers after Roe v. Wade overturned
With New Jersey among the states where abortion will remain legal after the U.S. Supreme Court’s seismic decision overturning Roe v. Wade, state lawmakers will consider legislation this week to provide legal protection for patients traveling from out of state to terminate their pregnancies.
TX: Local efforts to decriminalize abortion in Texas likely won’t help clinics stay open
District attorneys and local leaders in five Texas counties have promised not to pursue criminal charges related to the state’s new abortion laws. But civil and administrative fines could be financially devastating or cost health care providers their licenses.
TN: Tennessee files emergency motion to move up timeline for abortion restrictions to take effect
Tennessee officials don’t want to wait 30 days for abortion restrictions to go into effect. Hours after the U.S. Supreme Court rolled back the constitutional right to an abortion, Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery, a Republican, asked a federal appeals court to lift an injunction and allow the state to enforce a strict abortion law banning abortions after six weeks.
MO: Abortions in Missouri: Prohibited, no exceptions for rape or incest
Missouri’s attorney general issued an opinion that triggers parts of a 2019 law, effectively ending abortion in the state. Republican Gov. Mike Parson followed suit not long after, issuing his own proclamation on the issue.
AZ: Abortion rights groups ask court to block Arizona’s ‘fetal personhood’ law after Roe ruling
Arizona abortion rights groups, reacting to Roe v. Wade being overturned, have filed an emergency motion in federal court to block a state law granting citizenship rights to fetuses. The motion cites a fear that the 2021 law will be interpreted to charge physicians and health care workers who provide abortion services with assault.
FL: Florida governor vetoes bill that would have punished local governments for regulating business
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis delivered a blow to some businesses by vetoing a bill that would have required taxpayers to pay damages if a local government ordinance results in a business losing 15% of its revenue.
SC: South Carolina Democrats make their case to keep first-in-the-South presidential primary position
U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn made a straightforward appeal to Democratic National Committee members when he explained why his home state of South Carolina should keep its influential first-in-the-South position in the party’s presidential nominating calendar.
OK: As Oklahoma’s gun access expanded, deaths from firearms increased
Since Nov. 1, 2019, when Oklahoma’s permitless carry law went into effect, the governor’s prediction that it would make the state safer against gun violence has not come true. Gun deaths in Oklahoma have increased since the new law went into effect, as the state has recorded some of its deadliest months in history.
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