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Top State Stories 6/28
CA: California constitutional amendment securing abortion, contraceptive rights goes to voters
California voters will decide in November whether the state constitution should explicitly protect a person’s right to an abortion, and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced new efforts to solidify “California’s status as a reproductive safe haven for women.”
SC: South Carolina’s ‘heartbeat’ abortion law now in effect, attorney general says
South Carolina’s law banning abortion once cardiac activity is discernible took effect late on June 27, Republican Attorney General Alan Wilson announced.
UT: Abortions can resume in Utah for now, after judge blocks enforcement of trigger law
Doctors can continue to provide abortions in Utah for the next two weeks, a state judge decided. A district judge granted a request from Planned Parenthood Association of Utah to issue a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of the state’s so-called trigger law.
GA: Georgia anti-abortion law likely to remain on hold through at least mid-July
A federal appeals court has asked attorneys on both sides of the challenge to Georgia’s anti-abortion law to file additional documents in response to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
LA: Louisiana clinics to resume abortions after judge temporarily blocks state ban
Louisiana’s three remaining abortion clinics resumed scheduling appointments for the procedure after a judge issued a temporary restraining order, blocking the state from enforcing its trigger laws.
FL: Florida judge hears arguments on state’s new abortion law
Reproductive health providers are asking a Florida court to block a new state law from taking effect this week that would restrict abortions after 15 weeks, arguing the state constitution guarantees a broad right to privacy on matters including abortion.
KY: Kentucky abortion providers file state lawsuit to block trigger law, restore access
Kentucky’s two abortion providers have sued the state, arguing that the trigger law banning the medical procedure infringes on an individual’s right to privacy, which they say is protected by the state constitution.
MA: Massachusetts governor to ‘encourage’ companies to move to state due to abortion rights
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, said that the state may “encourage” employers in places that effectively have outlawed abortion to relocate to Massachusetts, where abortion rights are enshrined in law and are among the strongest in the country.
MS: Mississippi abortion clinic sues to stop trigger law
Mississippi’s only abortion clinic filed suit against the state in an attempt to halt the trigger law that would ban abortion in 10 days. The clinic argues that the Mississippi Supreme Court decision in a 1998 state case protects a right to abortion.
NM: New Mexico governor issues order to protect access to abortion care
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, signed an executive order aimed at protecting abortion patients and providers in New Mexico. The order seeks to shield health care professionals targeted by lawsuits from losing their licenses or being disciplined for providing abortion services, while also asserting the state will not comply with abortion-related warrants from other states.
ID: Idaho Planned Parenthood sues to stop trigger law that bans abortion
A Planned Parenthood affiliate filed a lawsuit in the Idaho Supreme Court seeking to stop the state’s trigger law that would effectively ban abortion in the state after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
TX: Texas law that allows parents to give up newborns at fire stations or hospitals goes mostly unused
Just 172 infants have been relinquished under Texas’ safe haven law since 2009, according to data from the Department of Family and Protective Services. Twenty-one babies were surrendered under the law in 2020—the most in one year during that time span.
IA: Iowa Planned Parenthood clinics prepare for patients from states with abortion bans
Planned Parenthood clinics in Iowa are preparing to help patients who may travel from states where abortion is now illegal. Expanding access means hiring more health care workers, expanding telemedicine options and hiring a patient navigator to specifically help people who need to travel to another state for health care.
AZ: Arizona commits B to augment, conserve water supplies
The Colorado River’s precipitous decline pushed Arizona lawmakers to deliver Republican Gov. Doug Ducey’s $1 billion water augmentation fund—and then some—on their final night in session.
OK: Oklahoma reaches M settlement with opioid distributors
Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor, a Republican, announced a $250 million settlement with three companies that distributed opioids in the state, and he said the money will be used to prevent and treat opioid addiction. The settlement must be approved by local government leaders in Oklahoma.
HI: Governor targets 30 Hawaii legislative bills for veto
Democratic Gov. David Ige gave Hawaii’s legislature a long list of bills he might veto, including measures dealing with bail reform, $60 million in Hawaii Tourism Authority funding and a vaping products ban.
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