Some state Republicans change abortion techniques

Republicans solid 12-week bans as ‘mainstream,’ whereas Democrats fiercely oppose them

The trouble to ban most abortions in Nebraska got here to an abrupt halt in late April. State Sen. Merv Riepe, a longtime Republican, tanked the invoice — a transfer that sparked livid conversations amongst antiabortion lawmakers about what to do subsequent.

As a substitute, on Friday, Nebraska’s conservative legislature voted to ban abortions at 12 weeks of pregnancya threshold that considerably narrows the window for authorized abortions however nonetheless permits the overwhelming majority to happen.

The trouble is a part of a brand new playbook Republicans in a number of states have deployed to craft abortion bans. It’s a response, some within the GOP say, to the sustained political backlash to strict limits that’s been mounting because the Supreme Courtroom overturned Roe v. Wade in June.

As an example: In North Carolina, Republicans used their legislative supermajority final week to enact the same 12-week ban that they consider will likely be extra broadly accepted.

And in South Carolina, state Sen. Katrina Shealy (R) instructed The Well being 202 that she and the opposite feminine GOP senators who blocked a near-total ban are planning to push for a 12-week ban on most abortions when the state Senate takes up a invoice subsequent week proscribing abortion after roughly six weeks of being pregnant.

However abortion rights advocates fiercely oppose the measures, adamant that they’re probably simply as dangerous because the extra restrictive limits and that voters will reject them.

Flashback to June: Republican lawmakers had been fast to embrace so-called “set off” bans designed to spring into impact as quickly as a choice overturning Roe was launched, the vast majority of which didn’t embody exceptions for rape and incest.

Now, nearly a yr later, some within the GOP have as an alternative began to coalesce across the 12-week bans, which permit more than 90 percent of abortions to proceed.

Some outstanding nationwide antiabortion teams, reminiscent of SBA Professional-Life Americahave been supportive, saying they’re in favor of proscribing abortions so far as a state can. Many of the payments which have handed this legislative session embody exceptions for rape and incest in some kind, although abortion rights teams argue that such insurance policies don’t work properly in observe.

But, the method has drawn criticism from others throughout the antiabortion motion who need lawmakers to purpose to eradicate most abortions nationwide.

Considerations about political backlash formed the campaigns of a small group of reasonable Republicans operating for the legislature in North Carolina, the place abortions are authorized up till 20 weeks of being pregnant.

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper had filmed adverts casting Republicans as “merciless and excessive” on the difficulty and claiming they’d vote to severely limit abortion entry.

Some moderates realized they might battle to win their races in the event that they took a hard-line stancein line with an individual accustomed to inner discussions who spoke on the situation of anonymity to recall personal conversations.

• And so one of the vital closely focused Republicans, state Sen. Michael Leewrote an op-ed within the Wilmington Star-News earlier than the election voicing his assist for abortion bans within the second and third trimesters, however not earlier than.

In January, when the legislature convened, working teams assembled to seek out what the state’s Republicans referred to as a “center manner.” There have been many opinions firstly: Some within the GOP supported a ban at conception whereas others most popular no further restrictions. Whereas everybody disliked the 12-week possibility “to a sure diploma,” state Sen. Amy Galey (R) mentioned ultimately a essential mass accepted it.

• Republicans stored the proposal a secret till the final potential minute, which was partly to forestall GOP hard-liners from making an attempt to amend the invoice to make it extra restrictive, in line with the particular person accustomed to inner discussions.

In the meantime, Democrats have fiercely rejected the concept that the laws is a “mainstream” compromise. They’ve referred to as out different restrictions included in the bill, reminiscent of a further necessary in-person appointment at a clinic 72 hours earlier than the process, saying it’s going to restrict abortion lengthy earlier than the 12-week mark.

In Nebraska — the place lawmakers are technically nonpartisan however usually have a celebration affiliation — Republicans connected the 12-week ban to a invoice to limit gender-affirming look after transgender minors.

Democrats and abortion rights teams described a sense of whiplash.

Simply weeks in the past, they thought they’d secured a significant victory with Riepe’s choice to abstain from voting on a invoice banning abortion after fetal cardiac exercise is detected at roughly six weeks.

However key Republicans within the state noticed that measure’s failure as a chance to barter, in search of to ban abortions sooner than Nebraska’s 22-week restrict.

• State Sen. Ben Hansen, the state’s well being chair, started assessing whether or not any abortion restrictions might be introduced again this yr.
• Native antiabortion teams described “tough” and “emotional” conversations about how early in being pregnant the state might realistically ban abortion.
• And Riepe, the holdout on the ban earlier in being pregnant, spoke at the very least 3 times — and exchanged quite a few texts — with Gov. Jim Pillen (R), who he mentioned was insistent on getting stricter abortion legal guidelines handed.

Riepe had briefly turn out to be an unlikely hero for these combating to guard abortion entry in Nebraska and across the nation. The state senator understands he’s dissatisfied lots of people, particularly on the left. However he believes he’s been clear from the beginning about the place he stood.

“There’s one factor I’m caught on,” Riepe recalled telling the governor. “I believe 12 weeks is an inexpensive quantity.”

Read the full story here.

The Submit’s Molly Hennessy-Fiske:

As one other S.C. abortion vote looms, GOP ladies rebuke the boys

Two Republican senators with differing viewpoints on abortion share the identical roughly 800-square-foot workplace suite within the South Carolina State Home, The Submit’s Danielle Paquette reviews.

On one aspect: There’s state Sen. Rex Rice66, who mentioned each being pregnant represented “God’s youngster” and pushed for a near-total ban on abortion in South Carolina.

On the opposite: Sen. Sandy Senn59, who slams that method as “all about controlling ladies.”

The tensions replicate the unusually stark gender divide that has emerged within the South Carolina State Home because the GOP-dominated legislature retains making an attempt — and failing — to move tighter abortion restrictions.

And as quickly as Tuesday, the state Senate might be confronted with its fourth abortion showdown because the Supreme Courtroom overturned Roe v. Wade.

The 2 Senate Republican ladies who had beforehand voted for a invoice to ban abortion after fetal cardiac exercise is detected mentioned they don’t anticipate to vote for it once more. They cited new amendments the Home tacked onto the invoice that made the measure, of their view, extra excessive. Senn opposed the bill the primary time round.

Biden and McCarthy set to renew talks on debt restrict

President Biden and Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) agreed to satisfy this afternoon to restart negotiations over the federal debt ceiling after a breakdown in talks for a part of Friday intensified fears of an unprecedented default, per our colleagues Paul Kane, Tyler Pager, Rachel Siegel and Jeff Stein.

McCarthy mentioned he and the president had a “productive” name yesterday whereas Biden was returning house from the Group of Seven summit in Japan, after he cut short other planned visits to hammer out a bipartisan deal. Following the decision, Home Republican and White Home negotiators met to put the groundwork for immediately’s assembly.

The trade units the stage for an intense, high-stakes week because the clock ticks towards a June 1 deadlineat which level the U.S. authorities dangers operating in need of money to cowl all its bills. The chance of the federal government having the ability to maintain operations and pay all payments till mid-June “is quite low,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen mentioned yesterday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Funds to Medicare suppliers, veterans’ and Social Safety advantages, and Medicaid reimbursements to states are among the biggest expenses that the nation might not be capable of pay within the first week and a half following a default, our colleagues Alyssa Fowers and Derek Hawkins report.

Need extra on this weekend’s debt restrict drama and what’s forward? Read our pals at The Early 202.

📅 Welcome again! The Senate is technically out this week, whereas the Home is in session.

Occurring this afternoon: The Home Guidelines Committee will consider a number of items of laws, together with a bill that will completely classify fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I narcotic beneath the Managed Substances Act.

Tuesday: The Home Committee on Oversight and Accountability will examine the function of pharmacy profit managers in prescription drug markets; the Home Veterans’ Affairs Committee will analyze the impression of supplemental coronavirus funding on veteran well being care.

Wednesday: A Home Appropriations subcommittee will mark up the fiscal 2024 appropriations invoice for the Meals and Drug Administration and different businesses.

There’s medicine to quiet his opioid cravings. Getting it can be hard. (By David Ovalle | The Washington Post)

Where 2024 presidential candidates stand on abortion bans (By Colby Itkowitz | The Washington Post)

How Maine’s growing residential care system fails ailing seniors (By Rose Lundy | The Maine Monitor)

DeSantis keeps abortion comments brief at antiabortion group’s gala (By Hannah Knowles | The Washington Post)

Thanks for studying! See y’all tomorrow.