Every week, Newsgroup rewiring editors sift through national headlines—from lawsuits over abortion access to LGBTQ+ rights—to bring you the most pressing news in reproductive justice. Here’s the last one for this week.
Religious freedom wins in Indianapolis
A court in Indiana has permanently barred the state from enforcing its near-total abortion ban yesterday. The ACLU filed the class action lawsuit more than three years ago on the grounds that the state’s anti-abortion law conflicted with the state’s religious freedom restoration law. The civil rights group argued that Judaism prioritizes the health of the pregnant person over that of the fetus. It’s unclear what yesterday’s decision means for abortion access in the state; Indiana currently bans abortion completely, with limited exceptions.
Prenatal care in the US is faltering
Fewer Americans are receiving early prenatal care, which is essential for detecting health problems in mothers or fetuses. A new CDC report shows that 75% of all pregnant people received first-trimester prenatal care between 2021 and 2024, down from 3% between 2016 and 2021. One expert cited maternity care deserts as a possible cause. But instead of funding hospitals, state governments are spending millions of dollars on “crisis pregnancy centers.” reports News from the United States. These fake anti-abortion clinics rarely provide prenatal care.
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Court deals blow to Ohio’s fetal residency law
A The Ohio appeals court ruled this week that pregnant people who undergo procedural abortions – and the clinics that care for them – cannot be forced to bury or cremate the remains of their fetuses. The law was blocked by a county-level court after the Ohio Legislature passed it in 2020. Clinics said it would deter people from seeking abortions, and the three-judge panel agreed that the policy violated the abortion rights amendment added to the state constitution in 2023. “Ohio voters said what they meant,” the justices wrote.
Teachers can exclude trans kids, SCOTUS rules
This week the Supreme Court blocked California from enforcing legislation That limited the way schools notify parents of students who come out as transgender. The majority held that the parents, seeking a religious exception to education policy, were exercising the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. In her dissent, Justice Elena Kagan said the ruling conflicts with the 2022 ruling that the Roe v. Wade by undermining the substantive due process argument used to justify federal abortion protections.
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