In brief: Court rejects abortion sonogram law

Austin, Texas – A federal court invalidated most of the Texas’ new abortion sonogram law Tuesday, deeming it unconstitutional to force doctors to tell patients details that aren’t medically relevant and that they don’t wish to hear.

U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks issued a temporary restraining order against the state that makes the law virtually unenforceable. The law was due to take effect Sept. 1. State officials immediately indicated that they would appeal the decision.

Under the new law, doctors preparing to perform an abortion were required to conduct a sonogram, show the result to the pregnant woman and make the fetal heartbeat audible before performing the procedure. If the patient declined to see the ultrasound, she would have to sign a waiver that also required her to disclose if the pregnancy resulted from incest or assault.

Deficit panel appoints Portland man

Washington – In the first major decision since its creation three weeks ago, the congressional deficit-reduction committee co-chaired by Sen. Patty Murray on Tuesday named Portland native and tax-policy expert Mark Prater as its top staffer.

Prater, 52, is a lawyer and an accountant who is a Republican. He has worked for the Senate Finance Committee since 1990, and is its deputy staff director and chief tax counsel.

Prater helped steer President George W. Bush’s landmark tax-cut package through that committee in 2001, but also has worked on Democrat-backed measures.

Jeffs upgraded to serious condition

Houston – The condition of convicted polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs was upgraded from critical to serious following his move Tuesday to a Texas prison hospital for additional treatment after he became sick while fasting.

Jeffs was described by Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokeswoman Michelle Lyons as “awake and alert” as he was flown to the Texas prison hospital at Galveston.

An official familiar with Jeffs’ condition but not authorized to discuss it publicly said Monday Jeffs had been in a medically induced coma. Lyons Tuesday disagreed with that description, but said federal regulations covering release of medical information prohibited her from disclosing more.