News Roundup: Investigating Efforts to Restrict Abortion Rights

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, Americans have voted in favor of abortion rights every time the issue has been on the ballot. In Tuesday’s elections, voters in three states sent a clear signal that limiting reproductive freedom is unpopular.

• In Ohio, voters approved an amendment that would enshrine the right to abortion in the state’s constitution.
• Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was reelected as governor of Kentucky. Beshear made his support of abortion rights a key issue in the election.
• In Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposal for a 15-week abortion ban hit a stumbling block when his fellow Republicans failed to gain a majority in the state legislature. 

• We submitted public records requests to Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia regarding crisis pregnancy centers. Each of these states allocate funds to the facilities, which aim to dissuade people from obtaining abortions. We’re seeking records including related communications and contracts. 
• This spring, Idaho passed a law that makes it illegal to help a minor get an abortion across state lines without parental consent. We asked the offices of the governor, attorney general, and specific state legislators for related emails.
• In July, Iowa passed a bill banning most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. Days later, a judge temporarily blocked the ban. We requested communications between the governor’s office and the state Board of Medicine about the ban.
• We recently published records showing that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Andrea Lucas solicited comments from the far-right Alliance Defending Freedom and other groups. Lucas has previously used her position to investigate companies’ abortion travel policies.

• The order, which was made in American Oversight’s ongoing lawsuit to bring transparency to Wisconsinites about the panel’s work, requires Roggensack to release the records within 30 days.
• American Oversight’s litigation previously revealed the names of all three former state Supreme Court justices that formed the panel. We obtained records from former Justices David Prosser and Jon Wilcox, the other two members of the panel, in response to public records requests about the group’s formation and scope of work. 
• Roggensack, the third member of the panel, has continued to resist transparency and refused to provide any records. During the hearing on Friday, Remington noted Roggensack’s apparent efforts to evade service of a subpoena to attend.
• “It is concerning to see a former official of such high public office go to such great lengths to avoid answering questions about their actions,” said American Oversight’s Executive Director Heather Sawyer. “Judge Remington has now ordered former Chief Justice Roggensack to turn over records regarding her work on Speaker Vos’s once-secret impeachment panel. Judge Remington’s order confirms Wisconsin’s longstanding commitment to government transparency and we look forward to getting more information to the public about Speaker Vos’s impeachment efforts.”

• According to the records, the meeting was to discuss “ESG investing and 2ndVote Advisers.” 

• Puzder has reportedly written and shared model legislation with conservative lawmakers aimed at restricting ESG investing. Last year, Puzder spoke at an anti-ESG event hosted by the American Legislative Election Council, a conservative lobbying group that circulates model legislation to state governments.

• The expenses cover tolls, car rentals, and flights; other records show the hotel stays for the trip cost a total of $1,664.52.

• Marshall responded with the phone number for the judge’s office and suggested another contact who “was aware of another possible prospect.”
• The records also include texts that appear to be between Carr and Republican attorneys general in Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia. Carr also texted with former Nebraska Attorney General Doug Petersen.

• We asked FLDEM for records reflecting the cost of the intended deployment to Iowa, and obtained a resource support agreement with Iowa that included a total cost estimate of $166,303.96 for what would have been a four-day mission. Two Florida DOT officials had already left for Iowa when Iowa canceled its request. They were in Iowa for a brief time.
• The final cost would likely have been reduced since the deployment was brief. The records show that no costs were incurred by FLDEM employees for this deployment.

• 2020 falsehoods thrive as a replay of the election nears (Washington Post)
• Why the fight to counter false election claims may be harder in 2024 (NPR)
• NBC’s partner for GOP debate is Salem, promoter of 2020 election denial (Washington Post)
• California’s Shasta County abandons plan to hand count election (Democracy Docket)
• A tide of election worker resignations raises alarms ahead of 2024 (CNN)
• Election offices are sent envelopes with fentanyl or other substances. Authorities are investigating (Associated Press)

• Virginia ‘Voting Rights Restoration’ process may be a form of voter suppression (Truthout)
• Wisconsin Senate approves GOP-backed elections amendments to the state constitution (Associated Press)
• In Virginia, yet another attempt at cleaning voter rolls goes badly wrong (Votebeat)
• Kansas Supreme Court set to consider protections for voting rights (Kansas Reflector)
• State has wrong or missing addresses for 92 voting precincts, investigation finds (Mississippi Free Press)
• Ballot shortages in Mississippi created a problem for democracy on the day of a governor’s election (Associated Press)

• A guide to the friends and patrons of Clarence and Ginni Thomas (Washington Post)
• Librarians turn to civil rights agency to oppose book bans and their firings (Associated Press)
• ICE releases investigation into immigrant's death after months of 'inexcusable' delay (NPR)
• Massachusetts is running out of shelter beds for families, including migrants from other states (Associated Press)

• Nebraska gender care law causes confusion among mental health providers (News from the States)
• Federal judge hears oral arguments on gender care ban for Idaho’s trans youth (Idaho Capital Sun)
• Judge to rule on temporary block of North Dakota’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors (Associated Press)
• DOJ asks Supreme Court to review Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care (Axios)
• Trans student kicked out of lead role of high school production of 'Oklahoma!' over gender policy (NBC News)
• Federal judge rejects challenge to Florida trans athlete law (CBS News)

• Abortion rights advocates win major victories in Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia (Washington Post)
• Right to Life sues to block Michigan's voter-approved abortion rights law (Detroit News)
• In Michigan, #RestoreRoe abortion rights movement hits its limit in the legislature (NPR)
• Judge to rule on temporary block of North Dakota’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors (Associated Press)
• Iowa’s governor opposes abortion — and has the final say on whether Medicaid pays for it (19th News)
• Missouri Supreme Court hears case on latest effort to block Planned Parenthood funding (Associated Press)
• Appeals court considers Texas’ challenge to federal abortion guidance (Texas Tribune)
• In the South, looming uncertainty threatens the limited abortion access that remains (CNN)
• Abortion debate is affecting access to drug used after miscarriages (Washington Post)

• Florida joins conservative states severing ties with national library group (Politico)
• Controversial PragerU videos gain educational foothold in a handful of states (Arkansas Advocate)
• Regents panel calls for dropping university DEI activities not tied to compliance, accreditation (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

• Enormous public records requests may come with a $25-an-hour search fee (News from the States)

• Trump and allies plot revenge, Justice Department control in a second term (Washington Post)
• Takeaways from Donald Trump’s contentious testimony in his civil fraud trial (CNN)
• Minnesota Supreme Court won’t remove Trump from GOP primary ballot in 14th Amendment challenge (CNN)
• Trump belief that 2020 election was stolen is not a defense, DOJ says (Washington Post)
• Echoes of Jan. 6 committee as Jack Smith foreshadows plan to tie Trump to Capitol riot (Politico)