Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Montana 1999 Court Decision Muddies Legislative Action On Abortion
Montana鈥檚 governor is asking the state鈥檚 high court to consider his arguments that justices should reverse a previous decision upholding the right to access an abortion and instead put the matter in state legislators鈥 hands. (Michels, 8/2)
In other abortion updates from Kentucky, Indiana, and California 鈥
Kentucky鈥檚 two abortion clinics filed a quick appeal Tuesday aimed at restoring abortion services in the state, a day after an appellate judge reinstated a near-total statewide abortion ban. The clinics, both in Louisville, asked the Kentucky Supreme Court to vacate the ruling issued Monday evening by a judge on the state鈥檚 intermediate Court of Appeals. (Schreiner and Lovan, 8/2)
An Indiana House committee passed wide-ranging changes to the proposed near-total abortion ban Tuesday morning with less than five minutes of discussion moments before, giving the public its final chance to testify on what's seen as one of the most controversial issues Indiana lawmakers have touched. (Lange and Herron, 8/2)
San Clemente City Councilmembers are set to discuss making their city an abortion-free zone under a new resolution.聽The resolution states that San Clemente will be a 鈥渟anctuary for life,鈥 and that the city council will 鈥渆nforce this resolution by all means within its power and authority.鈥澛 ... The resolution has not yet been discussed by council members. They鈥檙e expected to debate the proposal at the Aug. 16 meeting, and it looks to be headed to a city council that鈥檚 split over the issue, based on interviews and past public statements. (Biesiada, 8/2)
In related news 鈥
A pharmacist in McGregor, Minnesota, refused to fill a woman's morning-after pill prescription because it violated his "beliefs," a lawsuit alleges. (Watson, 8/2)
Denise Johnston stood in line at the pharmacy to pick up her monthly prescription of methotrexate, which she takes to relieve pain from her聽psoriatic arthritis.聽A month earlier, Johnston, 49, picked up her new prescription with no problems.聽But this time, she聽was stopped at the counter of her聽CVS pharmacy outside San Antonio, Texas, and asked about her 鈥渂irth control plan.鈥 (Rodriguez, 8/3)
Pregnant Georgians can now list their fetus as a dependent on their tax returns. The Georgia Department of Revenue released new guidance this week establishing that the agency "will recognize any unborn child with a detectable human heartbeat ... as eligible for the Georgia individual income tax dependent exemption." (Diaz, 8/2)
Microsoft Corp. is coming under pressure from an activist shareholder group that is seeking聽greater transparency聽about political giving to groups and individuals that oppose abortion rights, asking the software giant to end donations and lobbying that might conflict with its stated support for employees accessing reproductive health care. (Bass, 8/3)