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Legislators in 49 states ask SCOTUS to preserve access to abortion pill
A group of more than 600 Democratic legislators from 49 states have signed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court urging the justices to overturn an appellate court decision that would roll back access to mifepristone, one of two drugs used to safely terminate early pregnancies and treat miscarriages. The amicus brief, also called […]
In quick reversal, Ninth Circuit will reconsider Idaho abortion case
The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to reconsider an appeals case that will determine whether emergency room physicians in Idaho will be shielded from prosecution under the state’s abortion ban for providing stabilizing care. The order comes less than two weeks after a three-judge panel of the court granted an appeal from […]
Doctors in Idaho ERs no longer shielded from prosecution under abortion law
Emergency room doctors in Idaho are no longer protected from prosecution under the state’s abortion ban after the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed an order that had been in effect since August 2022. The court granted the Idaho Legislature’s appeal after U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill, an appointee of former President Bill […]
Judge may rule soon on whether Idaho’s ‘abortion trafficking’ law can be enforced
U.S. Magistrate Judge Debora K. Grasham is expected to decide in the coming weeks whether to grant a request to temporarily bar Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador from enforcing the state’s so-called “abortion trafficking” law as a lawsuit over its constitutionality proceeds in federal court. Grasham heard the case in district court in Boise on […]
Women with serious pregnancy complications sue over state abortion bans
Women and physicians in Idaho and Tennessee have sued their home states after they say they were denied abortion care despite being diagnosed with serious, life-threatening medical conditions while pregnant.The lawsuits are led by the Center for Reproductive Rights, an advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., which also helped a patient in Oklahoma file a […]
Idaho educators file federal lawsuit over ‘no public funds for abortion’ law
A coalition of professors from across Idaho have filed a lawsuit in federal court against the state alleging a law prohibiting the use of public funds to promote or counsel in favor of abortion is “sweeping and unclear” and violates their constitutional free speech and due process rights. It is the fourth lawsuit filed against […]
Idaho AG can’t prosecute providers for abortion referrals, federal judge orders in injunction
A federal judge in Idaho has granted a preliminary injunction barring Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador from taking legal action against medical providers who refer patients across state lines for abortion care and denied Labrador’s request to dismiss the case. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill issued a 60-page opinion detailing his reasoning for the […]
At national event, male religious leaders mull murder charges for those who get abortions
An all-male panel of anti-abortion religious leaders from around the country met Friday night to discuss the strategies that should be used to end abortion in every state at any stage of pregnancy, without exceptions for rape and incest, and with criminal punishment for the pregnant patient in line with existing criminal penalties for murder, […]
FDA approves first over-the-counter oral contraceptive
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday it has approved the country’s first daily birth control pill that can be used without a prescription, a move that reproductive health advocates celebrated after more than 20 years of advocating for an over-the-counter option. The contraceptive, called Opill, is a progestin-only oral pill that could soon […]
Advocacy groups file lawsuit against Idaho’s ‘abortion trafficking’ law
Several advocacy organizations and a civil rights attorney filed a lawsuit against Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s office Tuesday alleging a law that criminalizes the act of transporting minors across state lines to obtain an abortion violates constitutionally protected rights and is too vague to be enforceable. The federal lawsuit asks the Idaho District Court […]
Study shows sharp increases in maternal deaths over two decades
A study from the University of Washington released Monday shows maternal mortality rates more than doubled in some states between 1999 and 2019, with sharp increases for some racial and ethnic groups. Researchers touted it as the first study to provide such maternal mortality calculations for every state. Previous reports have not included rates for […]
Echoing history, reliance upon travel rises for abortion care post-Dobbs
When the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Dobbs decision one year ago, people of childbearing age in states across the country suddenly faced what seemed like a new prospect — having to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles from home to get an abortion. But historians say it is merely continuing a long tradition […]