The exception to abortion bans which allows doctors to save mothers’ lives took center stage during the first presidential debate. The most striking statement about it was not during the argument, however. It was the subject of a TV advertisement from the Biden campaign which aired during a break. The commercial featured a Louisiana woman who says that doctors refused to provide her care after her miscarriage because of the state’s abortion ban. But is it true?

On April 19, 2024, The Biden Administration issued an executive order which unveiled new Title IX regulations in an effort to change the original, noble intent of protecting girls from sex-based discrimination. The 1972 amendment declared: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

A major issue in Kentucky’s 2024 legislative primaries is one that many outside of Northern Kentucky may not know about: certificate of need (CON) reform. CON laws were formulated in the 1950’s with good intentions: to keep healthcare costs down. The theory was that a large number of unused medical resources would drive costs up. Currently, medical providers are not allowed to construct or modify their facilities without a permission slip from the government confirming that they meet a market need. Unfortunately, data soon showed that rationale to be inaccurate, and states began repealing or reforming their CON laws.