The Quickie: GA Supreme Court Allows 6 Week Abortion Ban to Take Effect Again 

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: GA Supreme Court allows 6-week ban to once again take effect, advocates celebrate PA wins for abortion rights but work remains, and Nevada steps up to provide abortion care for out-of-state patients!

GA SUPREME COURT ALLOWS 6 WEEK ABORTION BAN TO TAKE EFFECT AGAIN: Last week, the Georgia Supreme Court granted an emergency stay of a lower court’s injunction, allowing a six-week abortion ban to once again take effect in the state. The ban, which had been blocked the week prior, prohibits abortions from the earliest weeks of pregnancy when many do not know yet that they are pregnant. The court also denied abortion providers’ request for 24 hours notice, forcing providers to turn away patients in waiting rooms on Tuesday when the decision was made. 

“It is unconscionable that the Georgia Supreme Court has chosen to deny pregnant people the ability to decide what is best for their own lives and futures,” said Amy Kennedy, vice president for external affairs of Planned Parenthood Southeast. “Our state’s abortion providers are again being forced to turn away patients who then must leave the state for safe, time-sensitive, and essential health care. We will not let this stand, and Planned Parenthood Southeast and our partners are committed to fighting this ban until access beyond the earliest stages in pregnancy is restored.” 

The Supreme Court order lets the ban go back into effect while the appeal continues, without giving Georgia voters, through their elected representatives, an opportunity to weigh in.

Read more at Reuters and view PPFA’s full press release here. 

ADVOCATES CELEBRATE PA REPRO RIGHTS CHAMPION WINS, BUT WORK REMAINS TO PROTECT ABORTION: While abortion was not directly on the ballot in Pennsylvania this midterm cycle, abortion was a top issue throughout the election. Pennsylvanians voted to protect their reproductive rights, flipping the state House to a pro-reproductive rights majority. While work remains, advocates are hopeful that this majority — led by Rep. Joanna McClinton, a staunch abortion rights advocate —  can control the legislative agenda in the House and block a Senate-backed constitutional amendment package that would restrict Pennsylvanians’ reproductive freedoms. Controlling the House is key: while Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro has pledged to protect abortion rights, governors may not veto state constitutional amendments in Pennsylvania.  

A House chamber controlled by reproductive rights champions also means that advocates and lawmakers can pursue a proactive legislative agenda to protect sexual and reproductive health, such as comprehensive sex education in public schools and expanded telehealth for contraceptives. Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates Executive Director Signe Espinoza told the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, 

“We have been so focused on playing defense and maintaining access to essential care that there had not been the opportunity to move proactive legislation. In post-Roe America, people are struggling every day to access the care they need, and abortion clinics need support. We’re going to continue to fight every day to eliminate the stigma of abortion and improve access to it in Pennsylvania.”

Read more at the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. 

NEVADA STEPS UP TO PROVIDE ABORTION CARE TO OUT-OF-STATE PATIENTS: Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Nevada has emerged as a critical access state for pregnant people who must leave their state, such as Utah and Arizona, to seek abortion care. The Society of Family Planning released data recently that showed that abortion care in Nevada, where abortion is legal up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, has risen 21% from April to August, while the national figure declined by 6% in the same time period. 

“I can tell you that about 50% of our patients right now are coming from out of state, whether it be because of confusion or bans or general uncertainty, or maybe just safety concerns. There’s just a lot of fear out there with patients, and they’re looking for alternative methods or alternative locations to serve them in a safe environment,” Lindsey Harmon, executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes Nevada, said.

Abortion was a key issue in the midterms with exit polls showing it was the second-highest priority for many voters. Nevada maintains majorities of reproductive rights champions in both houses of its legislature.   

“I think what you’re seeing is … a motivation to protect abortion rights for folks across the nation and particularly in states like Nevada,” Harmon said. “We were pretty successful in that we beat back what is traditionally the red midterm wave, and we beat back a lot of extremists. There’s still a lot of work to be done, and we see the next election cycle is an opportunity to drive home those values that we know so many Americans hold in their heart.”

Read more at the Las Vegas Sun.