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Monday, Nov 4 2019

Full Issue

Missouri Governor Says He Won't Open Investigation Into Spreadsheet Of Patients' Periods Despite Furor

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) defended the state's health department's tracking spreadsheet, saying that kind of information has been filed to the state for decades and is done to regulate patients' safety. "Lawmakers that don鈥檛 know that should probably take a good look at the laws in the state of Missouri," Parson said. The revelation that the state logs women's periods came from a trial over Missouri's last-remaining abortion clinic.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said on Friday he will not call for an investigation into the state鈥檚 health department following the revelation that the agency kept a spreadsheet that tracked the menstrual cycles of Planned Parenthood鈥檚 abortion patients. Parson, a Republican, has remained largely silent since the spreadsheet鈥檚 existence was revealed Tuesday during a state administrative commission hearing in St. Louis. (Kite and Thomas, 11/1)

An abortion rights advocacy organization has launched a social media campaign to protest the Missouri state health department tracking the periods of the women who sought abortions at Planned Parenthood鈥檚 St. Louis clinic. At the urging of NARAL Pro-choice Missouri, people have uploaded photos to Twitter with a period product, like a box of tampons or pads, and added 鈥#TrackThisRandy,鈥 a reference to the health department鈥檚 director, Dr. Randall Williams. (Thomas, 11/1)

In other abortion news 鈥

The Kentucky governor鈥檚 race was teed up to be about Obamacare 鈥 just like the last one, which put Republican Matt Bevin into office. Until it became all about abortion. The unpopular incumbent鈥檚 harsh attacks on Democratic challenger Attorney General Andy Beshear鈥檚 backing of abortion rights, rare for a Southern gubernatorial candidate, has Democrats worried about their chances slipping away in a race that has grown unexpectedly close. One recent poll found the two men tied 鈥 in a state that President Donald Trump carried by a whopping 30 points in 2016. (Pradhan, 11/3)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
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