The Quickie: Montanan's for Securing Reproductive Rights Kick Off Campaign for Constitutional Amendment

Welcome to “The Quickie” — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s daily tipsheet on the top health care & reproductive rights stories of the day. You can read “The Quickie'' online here.

In today’s Quickie: Montana’s ballot initiative kicks off, the Supreme Court allows for Idaho’s GAC ban to take effect, and PPAZ resumes medication abortion services.

MONTANANS FOR SECURING REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS KICK OFF CAMPAIGN FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT: 

** CAMPAIGN PRESSER AT 4:00 MT; VIRTUAL WATCH OPTION AVAILABLE ** 

On Tuesday, Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights (MSRR) — the campaign to enshrine the right for Montanans to make decisions about their own pregnancies, including abortion — will officially kick off their effort with an event in Helena. Patients, providers, and advocates supporting the initiative will share why it is critical to securing reproductive freedom for generations of Montanans. 

MSRR’s kickoff presser will include remarks from Planned Parenthood Montana chief medical officer Dr. Sam Dickman and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Montana president and CEO Martha Fuller. 

Reporters interested in attending in-person or virtually should RSVP to [email protected]. 

Paid for by Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO. 123 William St., NY NY 10038. Provided in-kind to Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights, Tara Veazey, Treasurer, PO Box 1047 Helena, MT 59624.

 

U.S. SUPREME COURT ALLOWS IDAHO’S BAN ON GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE FOR MINORS TO TAKE EFFECT: Yesterday, in a huge blow to the rights of trans and nonbinary youth, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Idaho can enforce its ban on gender-affirming care for minors while litigation continues in the lower courts. The ban, which passed the state legislature last May, makes it a felony for medical professionals to provide this essential medical care to trans and nonbinary young people—with a possibility of up to 10 years in prison. Although a district court had temporarily blocked the law while the case proceeds, the Supreme Court held that the district court’s ruling was too broad, allowing the ban to be enforced against all youth in Idaho except for the two individual plaintiffs in the case. The Supreme Court did not weigh in on the merits of the case and is expected to soon announce whether it will hear three different cases out of Tennessee and Kentucky related to gender-affirming care for minors during its next term.

The fights for LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive rights are irrevocably intertwined. Everyone deserves the right to have control over their own bodies and decide what their family looks like. All people deserve the right to high-quality, affordable, nonjudgmental health care.

Read more in the New York Times here and the Washington Post here.

 

PPAZ RESUMES MEDICATION ABORTION SERVICES IN FLAGSTAFF: Yesterday, Planned Parenthood Arizona resumed medication abortion services at its Flagstaff health center. For almost two years since the Dobbs decision forced Planned Parenthood Arizona to stop providing abortion statewide due to legal uncertainty, Northern Arizona has been an abortion desert, and patients with the means to do so have had to travel hundreds of miles to access care.

While the Arizona Supreme Court’s ruling makes clear that the total ban on abortion will be enforced, abortion is still legal and accessible in Arizona for a limited period of time. Angela Florez, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona, released the following statement in response: 

“We know that it is now more important than ever to provide care to as many patients as we can, while abortion is still legal in Arizona, and we are swiftly expanding our services to meet the increasing needs of our community. We will not be intimidated or silenced by anti-abortion extremists, because we know the overwhelming majority of Arizonans support the right to abortion. We will continue to use every avenue to fight for a future where all Arizonans can make decisions about our lives, our bodies, and our futures.”

Read more in the Arizona Republic here