from States Newsroom
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By Elisha Brown |
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit over the new language guiding the application process for grants under Title X, a program meant to serve lower-income families who may not otherwise have access to family planning services, including contraception. (Photo by Kelcie Moseley-Morris/Stateline)
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit over changes to the grant application for the Title X federal family planning program, Stateline’s Kelcie Moseley-Morris reported.
The National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association and the Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania sued U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and other top agency officials in June over new directives that said grant recipients should align with Trump administration priorities, such as ending diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and gender-affirming care.
U.S. District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson, a President Donald Trump appointee, ruled Thursday that the plaintiffs don’t have “sufficiently concrete harm” to sue. “What plaintiffs face is uncertainty over how to best apply for a federal grant, and that is not a sufficient hardship to create a justiciable controversy,” Wilson wrote.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents the plaintiffs, said HHS has since removed language from the application that says it would reject funding requests from groups that don’t pass an “alignment” review.
THE BEAT
CALIFORNIA
California wants anti-abortion centers to stop promoting so-called abortion pill reversal: Two anti-abortion nonprofits that oversee crisis pregnancy centers are facing a lawsuit from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, over their promotion of a debunked claim that taking the hormone progesterone after mifepristone can reverse the effects of abortion medication. A state judge just wrapped up arguments in the case, and he will decide if promoting “abortion pill reversal” is protected by the First Amendment. — Cal Matters
TEXAS
Texas Supreme Court rules baby delivered by surrogate can leave Texas: Justices on the Texas Supreme Court rebuffed a surrogate’s attempt to keep the child she gave birth to this summer in Texas, meaning that the baby’s biological parents are free to transfer him to an intensive care unit in California. “Sustaining the life of the medically fragile child is the paramount concern in this time-sensitive matter,” the court ruled. The surrogate’s attorneys have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on the case. — The Texas Tribune
OKLAHOMA
Mothers, reproductive rights groups sue Oklahoma officials over abortion ban: Two women who had to leave Oklahoma to terminate nonviable pregnancies are suing officials over the state’s abortion ban. Magon Hoffman said she was forced to travel to New Mexico and pay $3,000 for abortion care after her maternal-fetal medicine specialist discovered that her fetus had no skull and only a “tiny bit of brain floating around” at 19 weeks’ gestation. Sheena Hamlin said she and her husband spent $4,000 to go to Illinois for an abortion after providers determined her fetus’ major organs were underdeveloped at 21 weeks. — Oklahoma Voice
NEVADA
With 2nd approval of Question 6, Nevada voters can secure abortion rights in state constitution: Nevada voters are set to decide this fall whether they want to codify abortion rights. More than 60% of voters already approved Question 6, which would establish the right to an abortion up fetal viability or later to save a patient’s life or health, in 2024. State law requires constitutional changes to be approved twice before they take effect. — Nevada Current
NATIONAL
Rural women who got C-sections more likely to be prescribed opioids at home, study finds: Women who gave birth via cesarean sections in rural areas were more likely than those in urban areas to receive opioids for postpartum pain, a new analysis found. Rural mothers were also more likely to receive prescriptions for acetaminophen and similar drugs such as ibuprofen, according to researchers at Truveta, a health data and analytics company. — Stateline
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THE PULSE
US: ICE lost count of miscarriages, while detaining a record number of pregnant women | The Guardian
MI: Right to Life Michigan says it opposes constitutional convention after Republican’s comments on abortion | Michigan Advance
MA: Massachusetts governor proposes improved postpartum healthcare after Lindsay Clancy trial | The Associated Press
NC: A new report highlights the scarcity of maternal care in rural North Carolina | NC Newsline
ABORTION ACCESS IN THE U.S.
Track state-level developments on reproductive rights anytime at News From The States. Send tips and thoughts to ✉️ [email protected], and follow her on Bluesky @elishabrown.
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