The Quickie: PP Votes: Donald Trump Does Not Care About Your Reproductive Rights

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: a spotlight from PPVotes Donald Trump does not care about your reproductive rights, and a state fights round up.

PP VOTES: DONALD TRUMP DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS: On Friday, Planned Parenthood Votes executive director Jenny Lawson issued the following statement in response to Donald Trump's statement supposedly expressing support of IVF:

“Donald Trump will say anything to get re-elected, but voters know he cannot be trusted. He has repeatedly lied and flip-flopped about his views on reproductive freedom. Trump, and Republicans across the country, saw the swift and immediate backlash to their hypocrisy — and now he is running scared. He may try to pander to the American people who are rightfully outraged, but his policies and rhetoric are fully to blame for this dangerous ruling. And we know he will not lift one finger to fight for women and families, if in office. Voters are paying attention and will show up once again to protect their rights this November.”

Paid for in part by Planned Parenthood Votes, 123 William St, NY NY 10038. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

 

STATE FIGHTS ROUND UP: Two proactive bills to increase access to sexual and reproductive health care pass the Virginia General Assembly.  

• Alaska: Today, a House Judiciary committee will hear public testimony on a fetal personhood bill, HB 107, that could criminalize doctors providing abortion. While it is likely to pass out of committee, it faces an uncertain future on the House floor. 
• Arizona: The Arizona Senate could hear an anti-trans “bathroom bill” ballot initiative (SCR 1013) this week, after pushing it from the calendar last week. Anti-LGBTQ+ legislators hold the majority in both the House and Senate. If they pass this measure, it will appear on the 2024 ballot.  
• Hawai’i: The Senate Health Committee passed the Reproductive Health Equity Act (SB 2605), which would require health insurers and the state employee insurance program to cover abortion and other reproductive care. The measure continues to move through committees. 
• Mississippi: Two measures (HB 1358 and HCR 33) that would codify an essentialist and harmful definition of sex and gender were introduced, with advocates expecting them to pass. The measures are a priority of Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, who recommended that legislators pass a “Women’s Bill of Rights” that “recognizes the biological differences between men and women." These measures would essentially eliminate any state recognition of transgender and gender non-conforming people’s existence. 
• Missouri: The House version of a measure (HB 2634) that would ban Planned Parenthood health care providers from receiving state funding, including from the state Medicaid program, passed its first committee last week. The measure is expected to move quickly and would decimate access to sexual and reproductive health services for low-income Missourians. The Missouri Senate also approved SJR 74, a measure to attack the ballot initiative process and undermine a proposed abortion rights initiative. The measure now moves to the House for consideration. If passed, it would raise the threshold for passing initiative, requiring a majority vote in at least five of the state’s congressional districts. It would also prohibit certain initiative topics favored by progressives and impose other limits on initiatives’ progress. 
• Utah: The Utah House passed HB560, a measure that would repeal parts of the state’s abortion clinic ban. Supporters of the bill claim that it could allow the state’s Supreme Court to rule on the state’s trigger ban, which is currently blocked pending further litigation. However, the bill does not address either the trigger ban or the state’s 18-week ban. The Senate is expected to take up the bill in committee soon. 
• Wisconsin: Planned Parenthood Wisconsin filed a petition with the Wisconsin Supreme Court this week, asking the court to consider whether the state constitution protects the right to abortion and the right to provide abortion. 
• Virginia: Lawmakers sent two bills protecting Virginians’ reproductive health privacy and care to Gov. Glenn Youngkin. SB 15 limits the extradition of those seeking, providing, or assisting with reproductive health care that is legal in the state, and SB 16 protects against search and seizure of menstrual health data. House versions of both bills (HB 1539 and HB 78, respectively) are also moving through the Senate and are expected to pass both bodies.