Florida
Legislation calls for additional restrictions on Florida’s ballot initiative process
By Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida
After fierce — and expensive — political battles last year about abortion rights and recreational marijuana, Florida lawmakers Thursday began moving forward with a proposal that would place additional restrictions on the ballot-initiative process.
Terrifying Florida Bill Jeopardizing IVF Makes a Comeback
By Kylie Cheung, Jezebel
A lot has changed in the last year, but a lot has also stayed exactly the same—like Florida state Sen. Erin Grall (R) and state Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka’s (R) newly reintroduced bill to update the state’s wrongful death statute to include embryos.
New bill aims to end Florida contract with controversial pregnancy centers
By Cindy Krischer Goodman, South Florida Sun Sentinel
Florida Democrat Rep. Kelly Skidmore has introduced a bill to end the state’s $29.5 million contract with a controversial pregnancy care provider.
Cindy Banyai will challenge Jenna Persons-Mulicka’s record on abortion
By Jacob Ogles, Florida Politics
Former congressional candidate Cindy Banyai will challenge state Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, a Fort Myers Republican, for her place in the House.
National
Trump nominee to head up FDA won’t make any commitments on abortion pill access
By Jennifer Shutt, States Newsroom
President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration refused to commit to keeping access to medication abortion as it is now, or changing prescribing guidelines, in response to questions from both Democrats and Republicans during his confirmation hearing Thursday.
People are flocking out-of-state for abortion care. Clinics are fighting to keep up.
By Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today
On an early morning Zoom call, Michele Landeau is working from her home in St. Louis, Missouri.
Pardoned anti-abortion activists plan next steps
By Alice Miranda Ollstein, Politico
Many of the nearly two dozen people President Donald Trump pardoned in January, who had broken into and blocked access to abortion clinics, are vowing to launch a new wave of civil disobedience.
Trump’s Second Presidency Will Be Even Worse for Maternal Health
By Avital Norman Nathman, Rewire
For the last few decades, pregnancy and birth in the U.S. has been in rough shape. Our maternal mortality rates are some of the worst among similarly resourced countries, while we also contend with some of the highest costs associated with birth.
New poll indicates abortion policy could affect employment decisions
By Kelcie Moseley-Morris, States Newsroom
A state’s policies on reproductive issues, including abortion, are likely to affect where people decide to take a job or start a family, according to a poll released Monday, and no states with restrictive abortion policies had majority support from those polled.
Georgia Won’t Say Who’s Now Serving on Its Maternal Mortality Committee After Dismissing All Members Last Year
By Amy Yurkanin, ProPublica
Georgia recently relaunched its maternal mortality review committee after dismissing all 32 of its members last year. But state officials won’t say who the current members are.
