The Quickie: Oral Arguments in Utah Abortion Ban Case and Texas Medicaid Lawsuit on the Horizon
For Immediate Release: Aug. 3, 2023
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: press call on UT trigger ban ahead of Supreme Court arguments, oral arguments set in TX Medicaid lawsuit, and IA students stand up against abortion ban.
TODAY AT 1PM ET/11AM MT: PRESS CALL ON UTAH TRIGGER BAN AHEAD OF SUPREME COURT ARGUMENTS: Today, ahead of oral arguments at the Utah Supreme Court, Planned Parenthood Association of Utah (PPAU), the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah Foundation, Inc. (ACLU of Utah), and Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) will hold a press call to discuss their ongoing litigation against S.B. 174, commonly known as the “trigger ban.”
The law, which criminalizes nearly all abortion in Utah, has remained blocked by a preliminary injunction while the legal challenge proceeds in court. On August 8, the Utah Supreme Court will hear oral argument as to whether the preliminary injunction should remain in place.
WHO: PPAU President and CEO Kathryn Boyd
PPFA attorneys Camila Vega & Hannah Swanson
WHEN: TODAY, August 3 at 11am MT / 1pm ET via Zoom
WHERE: RSVP here for Zoom link
JUDGE KACSMARYK SCHEDULES ORAL ARGUMENT FOR NEXT WEEK IN BASELESS MEDICAID FALSE CLAIMS ACT CASE AGAINST PLANNED PARENTHOOD: Last night, U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk scheduled oral argument for next Wednesday, Aug. 9, in Amarillo, Texas, on the summary judgment motions filed in United States ex rel. Doe v. Planned Parenthood Federation of America. In this case, Texas and an anonymous plaintiff are suing the Planned Parenthood affiliates in Texas and Planned Parenthood Federation of America for more than $1.8 billion, falsely alleging that the affiliates defrauded the state's Medicaid system by getting reimbursed for birth control and other basic health care services.
As the motions for summary judgment filed by PPFA and the Texas affiliates in January detail, Planned Parenthood did nothing wrong and absolutely followed the law. This lawsuit is a meritless and politically motivated attack on Planned Parenthood and the vital services that Planned Parenthood health centers provide, such as birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and other essential care. This lawsuit has no basis in fact and is an abuse of power by Gov. Greg Abbott, impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton, and their extremist allies — a desperate attempt to shut down Planned Parenthood and eliminate affordable health care options for Texans. As Ian Milhiser previously wrote in Vox, “The lawsuit is also entirely without merit, and it seeks to impose draconian penalties on Planned Parenthood for doing nothing more than expecting these two states to comply with a federal court order.”
Read more about the case here.
IOWA COLLEGE STUDENTS PUSH BACK AGAINST STATE’S ABORTION BAN: This week, Iowa Starting Line featured college students in Iowa speaking out against the state’s six-week abortion ban. While the ban is currently blocked, young Iowans already feel that it’s limiting their freedom.
“In college, there’s a lot of talk about public safety, public health, safe sex, and all of those things,” Anna Behrens, president of the University of Iowa Student Advocates for Planned Parenthood, said. “But if there comes a time where abortion is completely inaccessible in Iowa, marginalized groups will be affected more drastically and in a more dangerous situation… Speaking out as a younger person gives hope. You think, maybe everyone in my generation can get it right this time and protect everyone’s rights that they deserve.”
”A lot of colleges take the stance that’s more middle ground, which is vague and ambiguous,” Maia Boell, incoming Berkeley freshman and current Carroll, Iowa resident, said. “It’s a scary time for anyone needing an abortion, which is why colleges need to take the stance and clearly state abortion is healthcare.”
“We’re young adults coming into society, making our own decisions for ourselves and our bodies,” Scout Peery, a senior and Student Body President at Simpson College, said. “It’s a difficult place for any young person to be in, especially in college when you don’t know what your future will look like. It’s very important we allow everyone their own independence.”
These young people are not alone. More than eight in 10 students (both enrolled and prospective) nationwide say they prefer to attend college in a state with greater access to reproductive health services.
Read more at Iowa Starting Line.