Democrats walk out of Kentucky hearing on legislation dealing with support for nonviable pregnancies

Democrats walk out of Kentucky hearing on legislation dealing with support for nonviable pregnancies

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Democratic lawmakers walked out of a Kentucky committee hearing Thursday when the GOP-led panel took up a bill to expand access to prebirth and newborn services for pregnant women carrying nonviable fetuses that are expected to die before or soon after birth, in a state that bans abortion in such cases. The … Read more

Bill filed in Kentucky House would ease near-total abortion ban by adding rape and incest exceptions

Bill filed in Kentucky House would ease near-total abortion ban by adding rape and incest exceptions

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Legislation aimed at easing Kentucky’s near-total abortion ban by creating limited exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest was introduced Monday in the GOP-dominated House, as lawmakers wrangle with an issue at the forefront of last year’s campaign for governor. Republican state Rep. Ken Fleming filed the measure on the last … Read more

Alabama IVF ruling puts spotlight on state plans for tax breaks and child support for fetuses

Alabama IVF ruling puts spotlight on state plans for tax breaks and child support for fetuses

TOPEKA, Kan. — The recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos are legally protected children is highlighting how support for the idea that a fetus should have the same rights as a person underpins far less dramatic laws and proposals from abortion foes across the U.S. Lawmakers in at least six states have proposed … Read more

Alabama’s frozen embryo ruling is now having its first effects. See what to expect

Alabama’s frozen embryo ruling is now having its first effects. See what to expect

The Alabama Supreme Court recently ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law, raising concerns about how the decision could affect in vitro fertilization, commonly known as IVF. The decision issued in wrongful death cases brought by couples who had frozen embryos destroyed in an accident could potentially leave clinics vulnerable to … Read more

Dozens of Idaho obstetricians have stopped practicing there since abortions were banned, study says

Democrats walk out of Kentucky hearing on legislation dealing with support for nonviable pregnancies

BOISE, Idaho. — More than 50 Idaho obstetricians have stopped practicing in the state since a near-total abortion ban took effect in August 2022, according to a newly released report. Data compiled by the Idaho Physician Well-Being Action Collaborative also shows that only two obstetricians moved to the state to practice in the last 15 … Read more

Iowa’s abortion providers now have some guidance for the paused 6-week ban, if it is upheld

Iowa’s abortion providers now have some guidance for the paused 6-week ban, if it is upheld

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa’s medical board on Thursday approved some guidance abortion providers would need to follow if the state’s ban on most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy is upheld by the Iowa Supreme Court. The restrictive abortion law is currently on hold as the court considers Gov. Kim Reynolds ‘ appeal … Read more

New Hampshire Senate rejects enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution

Democrats walk out of Kentucky hearing on legislation dealing with support for nonviable pregnancies

CONCORD, N.H. — Another attempt to enshrine abortion rights in the New Hampshire Constitution failed Thursday, this time in the Senate. State law prohibits abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy except when the mother’s health or life is in danger or there is a fatal fetal anomaly. The Republican-led House earlier this month voted 193-184 … Read more

Mental health emerges as a dividing line in abortion rights initiatives planned for state ballots

Mental health emerges as a dividing line in abortion rights initiatives planned for state ballots

CHICAGO — The weeks after Kaniya Harris found out she was pregnant were among the hardest in her life. Final exams were fast approaching for the college junior. Her doctors told her she had an ovarian cyst, and the risk of ectopic pregnancy was high. The wait times for abortion clinics near her city of … Read more

Which states could have abortion on the ballot in 2024?

Which states could have abortion on the ballot in 2024?

The Florida Supreme Court is hearing arguments Wednesday on whether a ballot measure to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution should go before voters in November. It’s one of several states where abortion might be on the ballot this year. There has been a major push across the country to put abortion … Read more

Post-Roe v. Wade, more patients rely on early prenatal testing as states toughen abortion laws

Post-Roe v. Wade, more patients rely on early prenatal testing as states toughen abortion laws

WASHINGTON — In Utah, more of Dr. Cara Heuser’s maternal-fetal medicine patients are requesting early ultrasounds, hoping to detect serious problems in time to choose whether to continue the pregnancy or have an abortion. In North Carolina, more obstetrics patients of Dr. Clayton Alfonso and his colleagues are relying on early genetic screenings that don’t … Read more