Christian Fundamentalists Work to Deprive Women of the Right to Choose Abortion
 March 2008. Bush administration backs "pro-life" ob-gyn's who won't refer patients for services. click here.
Supreme Court Bans an Abortion Procedure with Ideological, Patriarchal Ruling.
On April 18, 2007 the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to uphold a law banning a rarely used abortion procedure and criminalizing doctors who perform it, regardless of whether they do so to save a woman's life or to preserve her health.
Wrote Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the minority's dissent: "Today's decision is alarming... It tolerates, indeed applauds, federal intervention to ban nationwide a procedure found necessary and proper in certain cases by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists."
The five men who constituted the majority gave joy to the Christian right with an opinion that substitutes their religious ideology for a physician's judgment and disdainfully trashes the principle of a woman's right to make her own health decisions. Please click here for links to the decision, the dissent, news reports and reaction from pro-choice and religious right organizations.
How this page is organized. Under the resource section, you will find special topics, a general news section, and, lastly, state-by-state sections
.
Special topics include: Fake pregnancy clinics | Religious right trying to ban RU-486 | Federal parental notification legislation |
Reports on Ohio's and Louisiana's harsh no-exceptions abortion law are in the states section of this page. Reports on South Dakota's no-exceptions abortion law, defeated in November '06 and reintroduced in '07, are here. Reports about Kansas prosecutor Phill Kline's persecution of abortion clinics are in the Kansas section.
Resources
Who Decides?
NARAL Pro-Choice America's State Profiles on Reproductive Rights
Who Decides? is the premiere source for information about the status of reproductive rights. Through information about state laws, it documents the hostile climate women face when seeking to exercise their constitutional right to choose. Continue.
Bush administration backs "pro-life" ob-gyn's who won't refer patients for services
Ob/Gyn Group: New Ethics Standards Misinterpreted
Julie Rovner, National Public Radio, Morning Edition, March 20, 2008
Obstetrican-gynecologists who don't want to perform or refer for abortions are not at risk of losing their board certification after all.
Last Friday, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt sent a letter to the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, with a copy to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Leavitt said he was concerned about an ethics committee statement from ACOG in November stating that doctors should either be prepared to perform "standard reproductive services" or else refer those patients to someone who will. Continue.
New Ob/Gyn Guidelines Stir Ethics, Legal Debate
Julie Rovner, National Public Radio, Morning Edition, March 19, 2008
The Bush administration says new ethics guidelines written by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists may violate federal "conscience" laws.
The guidelines require physicians to make referrals for abortions or other procedures they don't wish to perform themselves. But there is still confusion over whether a doctor would actually lose his or her certification as a specialist for refusing to make a referral.
At issue is an opinion released in November by the ACOG ethics committee. Among other things, it says physicians "have the duty to refer patients in a timely manner to other providers if they do not feel they can in conscience provide the standard reproductive services that patients request." Continue.
 Sec. Leavitt Protects Doctors
Family Research Council, March 14, 2008
On Friday, March 14th, Secretary Michael Leavitt (Dep't of Health & Human Services) issued an important press release announcing his letter to Dr. Norman F. Grant, the Executive Director of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG). In his letter, Secretary Leavitt stated his justifiable concern that ABOG's Bulletin for 2008 Maintenance of Certification could require physicians to refer patients for abortions against the dictates of conscience. Such outcomes might arise from the "interaction" of that ABOG Bulletin and a "report" of the ethics committee of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) (dated Nov. 7, 2007) entitled "“The Limits of Conscience Refusal in Reproductive Medicine.” Continue.
Physicians Group to Review Policy Saying OBGYNs Should Refer for Abortions
Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com Editor, March 14, 2008
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The national organization for OBGYNs will re-examine a policy on Monday saying all doctors, including those who are pro-life, should refer women to abortion centers. When it does, a leading pro-life group for physicians says it should scrap the idea and encourage doctors to follow their consciences.
As LifeNews.com has reported, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) has been criticized heavily for releasing the statement last year entitled "The Limits of Conscientious Refusal in Reproductive Medicine."
The paper targets pro-life physicians, insisting that doctors who object to doing abortions should refer patients to physicians who will do them. Continue.
American Association of Pro Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Response To The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Ethics Committee Opinion #385, Titled “The Limits Ofconscientious Refusal In Reproductive Medicine”
Dr. Joseph L. DeCook, American Association of Pro Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, February 6, 2008
The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG), one of the largest Special Interest Groups of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), strongly objects to the November 2007 release of ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 385, titled “The Limits of Conscientious Refusal in Reproductive Medicine.”
We find it unethical and unacceptable that a small committee of ACOG members would pretend to provide the moral compass for 49,000 other members on one of the most ethically controversial issues in our society and within our medical specialty—and that without ever consulting the full membership. Continue.
Federal parental notification legislation
 Stop Senate Action to Restrict Young Women's Abortion Access
National Council of Jewish Women urges action on S 403, September 28, 2006
NCJW says: "Determined to finalize action before the election on a bill that severely restricts young women's access to abortion, Senate leadership plans to consider the House-passed "Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act" (S 403) later this week. In July 2006, the Senate approved a similar measure, the "Child Custody Protection Act" and then, on September 26, the House amended that bill, passing a more restrictive version. This week, the Senate will consider the House-passed version in an attempt to move the legislation to the President's desk before the election. As it is written, this bill would create what amounts to a nationwide parental notification system. In effect, it would make it a crime for anyone other than a parent to accompany a minor across state lines for an abortion to avoid parental notice laws in their own state -- and even further, it would hold doctors criminally liable for enforcement. This measure endangers the lives of young women who might seek an unsafe alternative to legal abortion in order to avoid involving their parents." Click here to take action from the NCJW website.
Child Custody Protection Act (S. 8)
Email from Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) to Jane Hunter, July 21, 2006
In a July 21st response to a constituent's email opposing S.8, Sen. Mikulski (D-MD) wrote of her own "serious reservations" about the bill, which would prohibit transporting a minor across state lines to get an abortion if she has not met the parental notification requirements of her own state.
I want you to know that I, too, have serious reservations about this bill. S. 8 would eliminate safe alternatives to parental involvement by making it a federal crime for any trusted adult to help a teen in need. Under this bill, even a grandparent, an aunt or a sibling could face criminal prosecution. When a young woman can't share her decision with a parent for fear of abuse, she should not be cut off from other responsible counsel and assistance. I have reservations about any bill that would force some young women into desperate measures, like running away or seeking unprofessional medical attention.
Teen pregnancy is a serious issue in our country, and I firmly believe that abortion should only be an option of last resort. This means preventing unwanted pregnancies in the first place, not forcing teens to carry out such a serious decision alone.
Parent-notification bill pushed in Senate
By Amy Fagan, The Washington Times, July 21, 2006
Senate Republicans are pushing forward with legislation, which lawmakers likely will start debating today, that would protect parents' right to be involved in their teenage daughter's abortion decision.
Republican leaders hope to vote on the bill next week. They're trying to work out an agreement with Democrats on how long debate will last and how many amendments Democrats will be able to offer. Continue
Justice Bypassed
By Helena Silverstein and Wayne Fishman, American Prospect, July 27, 2006
All parental consent laws for abortion include a judicial bypass process. On the ground, in state after state, that process is dysfunctional. Continue
Senate Will Debate, Vote on Parental Involvement on Abortion Tuesday
Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com, July 24, 2006
The United States Senate finalized an agreement last week to hold a debate and a vote on Tuesday on the Child Custody Protection Act. That's a measure that would help uphold state parental notification and consent laws that allow parents to help their teenage daughters avoid abortions.
The bill makes it a crime for anyone other than a teenage girl's parents to take her out of state for an abortion. Boyfriends, their parents or abortion facility staff have made it a practice of taking teens to other states for secret abortions. Continue
Note: You will find most of our material on parental notification legislation and similar efforts in the "Patriarchy" section. We realize that Christian fundamentalists use these laws to limit access to abortion. Nevertheless, we want to emphasize the aspect of notification that is an assertion of "rights" over a daughter's body -- as well as the evident lack of concern about pregnancies resulting from incest. Click here to go to the reports.
Important study links family planning, abortion rate
 Guttmacher Institute study shows how access to contraceptives affects abortion rate
By JewsOnFirst , March 7, 2006
The same week that South Dakota's extreme anti-abortion bill hung between the state legislature and the governor's pen, the Alan Guttmacher Institute, which specializes in reproductive health issues, released a massive study showing that abortion rates rise and fall in synch with the availability of family planning services -- especially where poor women and girls are concerned. Click here for our summary, links to the Guttmacher report and news coverage.
The religious right is trying to ban RU-486
Background: The religious right has seized on the deaths of several women who used the abortion drug RU-486 to ramp up a campaign to ban the widely used drug. A House subcommittee held hearings May 17, 2006 on the FDA’s approval and monitoring of RU-486. Christocrats are pushing legislation called "Holly's Law," which would withdraw FDA approval of the abortion pill for at least 6 months during a Government Accountability Office review of the drug’s approval process. The FDA approved RU-486 in 2000.
At the May 17th hearing, FDA Deputy Commissioner Janet Woodcock said her agency does not know whether the infections were caused by the drug or were an inherent risk of pregnancy. The religious right is using these infections to ramp up a campaign to ban RU-486 -- after it has already severely limited access to surgical abortion in many places around the country.
FDA Officials at House Hearing Say They Do Not Know if Mifeprex Use Increases Risk of C. Sordellii Infection
Kaisernet, Daily Women's Health Policy Report, May 18, 2006
This comprehensive summary of the hearing on RU-486 and the issues surrounding it, with links to many cited sources, notes that the infection that felled several women who used RU-486 has also been associated with the "deaths of eight women who recently had delivered infants either vaginally or by caesarean section, two women who had miscarriages and one woman who was infected during her menstrual period." Click here
GOP lawmakers urge FDA to halt sales of RU-486
Hearing notes deaths linked to abortion pill
By Jonathan D. Rockoff, Baltimore Sun, May 18, 2006
WASHINGTON // Republican legislators urged federal regulators to halt sales of RU-486 yesterday during a congressional hearing designed to draw attention to five deaths linked to use of the abortion pill and a companion drug.
"There is a serious problem with RU-486, and failing to address this problem by disguising it, ignoring it, minimizing it or causing confusion is a shameful failure," said Rep. Mark E. Souder, an Indiana Republican.
Souder, chairman of the drug policy subcommittee that held the hearing, and Rep. Jean Schmidt, a Republican from Ohio, criticized the Food and Drug Administration for refusing to withdraw RU-486 despite the deaths and other side effects. Souder, who opposes abortion, said the drug should never have been approved. Continue
This topic continues. Please click here
Fake clinics
The Grassroots Abortion War
Nancy Gibbs, Times Magaine, February 15, 2007
The pregnancy-center clinic, with its new ultrasound machine, has been open only since December, but already the staff can count the women who came in considering an abortion and changed their minds: five women converted, six lives saved, they declare, since one was carrying twins. "They connected," nurse Joyce Wilson says, recalling the reaction of the women who saw the filmy image of their fetus onscreen. "They bonded. You could just see it. One girl got off the table and said, 'That's my baby.'" Continue
Eight States Funding Pro-Life Pregnancy-Resource Centers
Others drop all funding of Planned Parenthood.
Focus on the Family, February 14, 2007
Eight states are granting tax money to pro-life pregnancy-resource centers (PRCs): Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and Louisiana.
Those states will allocate about 13 million dollars to PRCs. Additionally, Arizona and Kansas are giving one-time grants. And on top of that, six states have ended all public funding of Planned Parenthood. Even though they collect the lion's share of family-planning funds, pro-abortion groups bristle when PRCs get any help from the government. Continue.
Clinics Try to Steer Women From Abortions
Crisis Pregnancy Centers Often Set Up Near Abortion Clinics, Offering Information Long Discredited by the Medical Community
By Dan Harris, ABC News, November 16, 2006
Nov. 16, 2006 — Abortion clinics are now outnumbered nationwide by "crisis pregnancy centers," which, usually funded by Christian groups, often set up near abortion clinics to dissuade women from having abortions. Continue.
Liberal Group Seeks Info on Crisis-Pregnancy Centers
CREW files suit against HHS for financial reports.
Focus on the Family, November 10, 2006
Citizens for Responsibility in Washington (CREW) has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services for failing to provide it with financial reports of government grants to crisis-pregnancy centers.
Melanie Sloan, a spokeswoman for CREW, told Family News in Focus the money is funding misinformation to women and teens. Continue.
Report: Women misled on abortion risks
USA TODAY, July 18, 2006
WASHINGTON (AP) — Women who consult with pregnancy resource centers often get misleading information about the health risks associated with having an abortion, according to a report issued Monday by Democrats on the House Government Reform Committee.
Congressional aides, posing as pregnant 17-year-olds, called 25 pregnancy centers that have received some federal funding over the past five years.
The aides were routinely told of increased risk for cancer, infertility and stress disorders, said the report, which was prepared for Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. Continue
Federally Funded Pregnancy Resource Centers Mislead Teens about Abortion Risks
Rep. Henry A. Waxman, House Committee on Government Reform, July 17, 2006
A new study released by Rep. Henry A. Waxman finds that federally funded pregnancy resource centers often mislead pregnant teens about the medical risks of abortion, telling investigators who posed as pregnant 17-year-olds that abortion leads to breast cancer, infertility, and mental illness. Click here to continue reading the introduction and access the link to the full report.
States, Communities Push Back Against Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Dictates from Washington While Proliferation of Programs Continues
News Release, Adrienne Verrililli for SIECUS via CommonDreams.org, July 19, 2006
The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS) announces the third edition of "SIECUS State Profiles: A Portrait of Sexuality Education and Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs," the most comprehensive document of its kind detailing sexuality education and abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in states and communities. This report comes on the heels of a July 17 report by Rep. Waxman (Calif.) that found that more than $30 million federal dollars have been funneled to anti-choice crisis pregnancy centers through abstinence-only-until-marriage accounts. Continue
This topic continues. Please click here
2008 News and comment: The Christian Right's attacks on abortion rights
"Human Life" Amendments Latest Challenge to Roe
by Kathy Lohr, Morning Edition, National Public Radio, January 22, 2008
Tuesday marks the 35th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion. Today, in many state courts, there is a push for "human life" amendments aimed at granting legal status and rights to embryos. Click here for a link to the audio report.
Abortion foes protest 35th anniversary of 'Roe'
USA Today, January 23, 2008
Washington — Tens of thousands of abortion opponents marched in a cold drizzle to the Supreme Court on Tuesday in the annual "March for Life" rally criticizing the court's Roe v. Wade decision.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the ruling that created a right to abortion.
Paul Buede, of Keedysville, Md., was marching with his wife and four children, ranging in age from 1 to 10. Four-year-old Andrew carried a sign with a baby's face and the slogan, "Face it. Abortion kills." Continue.
Thousands protest Roe v. Wade decision
Sarah Karush, Associated Press, USA Today, January 23, 2008
Washington — Thousands of abortion opponents marched from the National Mall to the Supreme Court on Tuesday in their annual remembrance of the court's Roe v. Wade decision.
A smaller crowd of several dozen abortion-rights supporters held their own rally later, marking the 35th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court ruling that established the nationwide right to abortion.
Supreme Court police reported no problems or arrests. Continue.
National Council of Jewish Women, Reform mark Roe v. Wade
JTA, January 23, 2008
Jewish organizations marked 35 years since Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.
The National Council of Jewish Women called on supporters to campaign against rollbacks of the decision in the intervening years.
"We must prevent the appointment of any more judges to the federal bench who are selected for their anti-abortion views and far right-wing credentials," said an NCJW statement issued Tuesday, alluding to last year's Supreme Court decision that upheld bans on late-term abortion. Continue.
Still Struggling for the Right To Choose
Opinion article by Phyllis Snyder, Forward, January 16, 2008. Snyder is president of the National Council of Jewish Women.
Next week marks the 35th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision. In the ongoing struggle to keep abortion safe and legal in the United States, there is no rest for the weary.
It was only a generation ago when as many as 10,000 women died each year from illegal abortions. Many thousands more suffered permanent injury, and countless others were forced to bear children against their will.
Not only did Roe affirm women’s constitutional right to control their bodies, but it underscored that women are entitled to freedom of conscience to act in accordance with their own religious and moral beliefs, rather than a state-imposed doctrine. Continue.
Antiabortion cause stirs new generation
Born into a time after Roe vs. Wade, many young adults are eager to reverse it. And veteran activists are happy to enlist their help.
Stephanie Simon, Los Angeles Times, January 22, 2008
Wallingford, Pa. -- The bell rang and the eighth graders jumped up, eager to compare notes.
"I named my baby Kyle Patrick," one shouted.
Mine is Antonio!"
At the urging of an antiabortion activist, they had each pledged to "spiritually adopt" a fetus developing in an unknown woman -- to name it, love it from afar and above all, pray daily that the mother-to-be would not choose abortion.Continue.
The Court's Personal Path to Roe v. Wade
The Bryant Park Project, National Public Radio, January 25, 2008
This week marks the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion. As legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin reports, today's court is deeply divided on the issue.
In 2007, the court upheld a ban on late-term abortion. The majority opinion, says Toobin, suggested that any protections for the right to abortion are "hanging by a thread right now."
Toobin, a staff writer at the New Yorker, a CNN analyst and author of The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court, says the justices each took a very personal path to his or her current position. Continue.
A Generation At Stake
Email from Gary L. Bauer, American Values, sent January 24, 2008
What does Planned Parenthood do when it’s not destroying unborn babies? It raises money to help elect politicians who will pass laws that will make it easier for Planned Parenthood to kill babies. Planned Parenthood is already raking in record amounts of taxpayer-funded subsidies (over $305 million in 2006) and record-high revenues (close to $900 million in 2006). Now America’s largest abortion seller is planning to get directly involved in politics. As reported by Brody Mullins in the Wall Street Journal this week, Planned Parenthood has unveiled the “One Million Strong” campaign, during which it will spend $10 million in trying to persuade one million people to vote for pro-abortion candidates in 2008. When combined with Emily’s List, America’s largest political action committee, which hopes to exceed the $46 million it raised in 2006, and NARAL, which plans to spend another $10 million, it’s clear that the abortion industry is desperate for its political agenda to prevail. Continue.
Thousands Give Voice to the Unborn, Hope to Moms
Lawrence Jones, Christian Post, January 20, 2008
On Jan. 22, abortion rights activists will be marking the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade in the name of a woman's right to choose. Pro-life supporters, meanwhile, will be speaking on behalf of the most vulnerable and weakest members of society under their own "holiday" on Sunday: National Sanctity of Human Life Day. It is a day when "we recognize that each life has inherent dignity and matchless value," said President Bush in his 2008 proclamation for National Sanctity of Human Life Day.
The annual observance, which falls on the Sunday closest to the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, also marks the efforts by the United States to "strengthen the culture of life in America and work for the day when every child is welcomed in life and protected in law." Continue.
2005 to 2007 News and comment: The Christian Right's attacks on abortion rights
Rift grows over unintended pregnancies
By David Crary, Associated Press, FoxNews.com, June 7, 2007
NEW YORK -- America's conflicted attitude toward sex is at the heart of an intriguing political struggle unfolding this year in Congress and many states, as liberals and conservatives spar over bills aimed at reducing the huge number of unintended pregnancies.
To the liberal coalition backing the measures, the so-called Prevention First initiative is a commonsense package that would reduce the need for abortions by providing better information about contraceptives and expanding access to them.
To conservatives, the initiative is an alarming effort to eliminate abstinence-only sex education, strengthen abortion-rights groups and encourage sex outside of marriage.
"There's a utopian view that women ought to be able to have sex any time they want to without consequences - that's the bottom line of all these bills," said Janice Crouse of Concerned Women for America, a conservative group which opposes the measures. Continue.
Abortion Foes See Validation for New Tactic
Robin Toner, The New York Times, May 22, 2007
Washington, May 21 -- For many years, the political struggle over abortion was often framed as a starkly binary choice: the interest of the woman, advocated by supporters of abortion rights, versus the interest of the fetus, advocated by opponents of abortion.
But last month’s Supreme Court decision upholding the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act marked a milestone for a different argument advanced by anti-abortion leaders, one they are increasingly making in state legislatures around the country. They say that abortion, as a rule, is not in the best interest of the woman; that women are often misled or ill-informed about its risks to their own physical or emotional health; and that the interests of the pregnant woman and the fetus are, in fact, the same.
The majority opinion in the court’s 5-to-4 decision explicitly acknowledged this argument, galvanizing anti-abortion forces and setting the stage for an intensifying battle over new abortion restrictions in the states. Continue.
Theocrat of the Week
Frederick Clarkson, Talk to Action, May 12, 2007
Our Theocrat of the Week, Joseph Scheilder, head of the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action Network (PLAN) won on a technicality. But oh, what a technicality it was!
But that is not the reason he is our Theocrat of the Week.
Scheidler, a leader of some of the most violent anti-abortion protests in American history, is celebrating final victory in a civil suit that lasted 21 years, and went to the U.S. Supreme Court three separate times before it was dismissed on a technicality. Scheidler and his allies orchestrated violent clinic protests at the same time he was praising notorious criminals, visiting convicted clinic arsonists in prison, and personally pleading (unsuccessfully) for pardons from then-president Reagan. The better known Operation Rescue, was created by, and was a project of the Scheidler-led PLAN. Continue
The Greatest Threat to Choice
Chris Hedges, TruthDig, May 7, 2007
Jeniece Learned stood amid a crowd of earnest-looking men and women, many with small gold crosses in their lapels or around their necks, in a hotel lobby in Valley Forge, Pa. She had an easy smile and a thick mane of black, shoulder-length hair. She was carrying a booklet called “Ringing In a Culture of Life,” which was the schedule of the two-day event she was attending, organized by the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation. The event was “dedicated to the 46 million children who have died from legal abortions since 1973 and the mothers and fathers who mourn their loss.”
Learned, who had driven five hours from a town outside Youngstown, Ohio, was raised Jewish. She wore a gold Star of David around her neck with a Christian cross inset in the middle of the design. She stood up in one of the morning sessions, attended by about 300 people, most of them women. The speaker, Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., had asked if there were any “post-abortive” women present. The most fervent activists in the pro-life movement have usually had abortions, with large numbers admitting to multiple abortions. Continue.
GOP Hangs on for Dear Life
Tony Perkins, Family Research Council, February 19, 2007
Although their goals for the 110th Congress make no mention of pro-life legislation, Republicans have quietly aligned themselves against the inevitable attacks on the unborn. FRC has learned that earlier this month, 36 of the Senate GOP, including every member of the minority leadership and both Republican presidential candidates, implored President Bush to lead the fight against anti-life measures in the new Congress. In a letter to the White House, the GOP requested that President Bush pledge to veto any legislation that weakens pro-life policy. The President's father, George H.W. Bush, issued a similar statement to Democrats when his party was in the minority, and voting records indicate that it significantly dampened the efforts and enthusiasm of Congress's pro-abortion faithful. Continue.
Letter from 35 Senators Urges President to Champion Life Issues
By Jennifer Morehouse, Church Report, Feb 19, 2007
(CR) – A letter has been sent to President Bush urging him to uphold and champion pro-life policy. The letter is from 35 U.S. senators, including Senator Sam Brownback.
“President Bush has shown that he is committed to protecting the dignity of every life, from the unborn to the elderly,” said Brownback. “Now that we have a Democrat-controlled Congress, I respectfully urge President Bush to remind my colleagues of his commitment to pro-life policies.” Continue.
FRC's Blogs for Life Attracts Who's Who of Pro-Family Movement
Tony Perkins, Family Research Council daily email, January 19, 2007
As the pro-life message continues to advance, so too does the technology that carries the message. For the past year, FRC has been on the cutting-edge of the blogging movement, extending its influence on life and family issues to the online mainstream. On Monday, January 22, FRC is hosting its second Blogs for Life conference, featuring a star-studded line-up of congressional, media, and Internet leaders. The event is free and highlights speakers such as: Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS); Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA); David Prentice, Senior Fellow, FRC; Ramesh Ponnuru, Senior Editor, National Review; Peter Samuelson, President, Americans United for Life; Joe Scheidler, Founder, Pro-Life Action League; Jill Stanek, columnist, WorldNetDaily; Rob Bluey of The Heritage Foundation; and many more. For those of you who can't make it to Washington but want to develop a better understanding of how technology can be used to promote life, log on to our website for special live coverage of the event. Visit www.blogs4life.com for details. Register for this Event Now
Is There a Post-Abortion Syndrome?
By Emily Bazelon, New York Times Magazine, January 21, 2007
Early on a a windy Saturday morning in November, Rhonda Arias drove her Dodge Caravan past a Wal-Mart at the end of her block and onto the Interstate. She was beginning the 50-mile drive from her house in southwest Houston to Plane State Jail, where she is, as she puts it, an “abortion-recovery counselor.” To Arias, that means helping women at the prison who have had abortions to understand how that procedure has stained them, and how it explains what has gone wrong in their lives. The prisoners’ abortions, she told me, “have a great deal to do with their pain.”
Arias, who is 53, often wears silver hoop earrings and low black boots, and she has a weakness for edgy zingers. She started doing post-abortion counseling 15 years ago. After what she describes as a revelation from God, she decided that her own pain and unhappiness were rooted in the abortion she had in 1973, when she was 19. “It was the year Roe v. Wade was decided, and I remember saying, ‘No guy in Washington is going to tell me what to do with my body!’ ” Arias said with a sharp laugh as we were driving. But after the procedure, she says, strange feelings washed over her. “I remember having evil thoughts, about hurting children,” she said. “It was like I’d done the worst thing I could possibly do. A piece of evil had entered me.” Continue.
ACLU, NYCLU, and National Abortion Federation Call on U.S. Supreme Court to Hold Women's Health Paramount In Federal Abortion Ban Challenge
News release, American Civil Liberties Union via Common Dreams, September 21, 2006
WASHINGTON - September 21 - The American Civil Liberties Union, the New York Civil Liberties Union, and the National Abortion Federation (NAF) today submitted a friend-of-the-court brief in the U.S. Supreme Court calling on the Court to continue to hold women's health paramount when it hears argument on November 8th in challenges to a federal ban on abortion. These groups urged the Court to affirm lower court decisions striking down the ban. Continue.
ACLU and National Abortion Federation Call on U.S. Supreme Court to Protect Women’s Health in Challenge to the Federal Abortion Ban
News release via Common Dreams, August 11, 2006
WASHINGTON - August 11 - The American Civil Liberties Union and the National Abortion Federation (NAF) today submitted a friend-of-the-court brief in the U.S. Supreme Court calling on the Court to protect women’s health when it hears argument next term in a challenge to the Federal Abortion Ban. Both groups urged the Supreme Court to affirm lower court decisions striking down the ban. Continue.
Roe versus Reality — Abortion and Women's Health
Alexi A. Wright, M.D., and Ingrid T. Katz, M.D., M.H.S., New England Journal of Medicine, July 6, 2006
This is a sobering report on the diminishing availability of abortion. The authors give examples of gravely ill women required to surmount huge obstacles to terminate pregnancies that threatened their health.
They conclude: "As new legislation is passed, the courts will hear more cases that challenge Roe, and physicians may increasingly risk their careers and their lives if they choose to provide abortions. With each new decision to limit abortion, more American women lose their access. Whether the Supreme Court ultimately upholds or overturns the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, one thing is certain: poor women in rural America are bearing the brunt of these decisions, and some may pay with their lives." Click here
NARAL Pro-Choice America Calls Supreme Court Decision to Review Federal Abortion Ban Ominous
News release, June 19, 2006
Washington, DC--Nancy Keenan, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America, released the following statement in response to today's decision by the United States Supreme Court to hear another challenge to the Bush Administration's Federal Abortion Ban.
"Today's decision by the Supreme Court is the latest example of how President Bush has politicized the country's judicial process. The Court struck down a nearly identical law as unconstitutional in 2000, and every court to hear a challenge to this first-ever federal ban on abortion has declared it unconstitutional. Continue
Who Is Leslee Unruh?
by Myra Batchelder, Choice Magazine (Planned Parenthood), May 11, 2006
 Leslee Unruh, a key lobbyist for the sweeping abortion ban passed in South Dakota this year, has in recent months become one of the most visible anti-choice hardliners in the country. As a fervent opponent of reproductive rights and medically accurate sex education, her name has long been familiar to many in the pro-choice community. Continue
The Abortion-Rights Side Invokes God, Too
Political Memo
By Neela Banerjee, The New York Times, April 3, 2006
An Interfaith Prayer Breakfast is part of Planned Parenthood's annual convention. Click here
This topic continues. Please click here
PARENTAL NOTIFICATION LEGISLATION
You will find materials on parental notification legislation and other issues in the "Patriarchy" section. We realize that Christian fundamentalists use these laws to limit access to abortion. Nevertheless, we want to emphasize the aspect of notification that is an assertion of "rights" over a daughter's body -- as well as the evident lack of concern about pregnancies resulting from incest. Click here to go to the reports.
Indiana
House passes 2 abortion-related measures
By Mary Beth Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, February 1, 2006
"The Indiana House took aim at abortion tonight, passing one measure requiring women seeking to end a pregnancy to be informed that life begins at conception and another that could shut down abortion clinics in the state." Click here to read the report.
Kansas
For more on Phill Kline, subject of many of the reports below, please see our coverage of his memo ordering a reelection campaign operation "in each church" in Kansas -- and his attempt to require Kansas healthcare providers to report teens for having consensual sex.
Kansans Call Grand Jury Over Abortion Clinic
Kathy Lohr, Morning Edition, National Public Radio, January 8, 2008
A grand jury in Wichita, Kan., is due to investigate whether a clinic that performs abortions is breaking the law. The grand jury was not called by a local prosecutor. Kansas is one of six states where citizens are allowed to call up grand juries. Click here for a link to the audio report.
 IRS Seeks to Silence Kansas Church
News release, Operation Save America via Christian Newswire, June 1, 2007
WICHITA, Kansas, June 1 /Christian Newswire/ -- On April 20, 2007 the IRS sent an "inquiry" letter to Spirit One Christian Center stating that, "a reasonable belief exists that your organization has engaged in political activities..."
They cited our church marquee signs - specifically a sign we put up which read, "Sebelius accepted $300,000.00 from abortionist Tiller, price of 1000 babies."
The IRS has turned into a Gestapo, a speech police, who says if you're Christian, there are some things you can not say or preach.Continue.
Pressure building in abortion inquiry
House could vote today to compel A.G. to file charges
By Tim Carpenter, Topeka Capital-Journal, March 28, 2007
The House remained poised Tuesday to vote on a far-reaching resolution forcing Attorney General Paul Morrison to file criminal charges against a Wichita physician who performs abortions.
Morrison said pressure from social conservatives in the House wouldn't influence his investigation of allegations Dr. George Tiller performed illegal late-term abortions and improperly filed state reports on those procedures. An analysis of evidence in the Tiller case is expected to be finished by the attorney general's office in several weeks, he said. Continue.
Committee asks Morrison to move on Tiller
A.G. would be required to file charges
By Tim Carpenter, Topeka Capital-Journal, March 27, 2007
A House committee took a bold step Monday by approving a resolution mandating Attorney General Paul Morrison file criminal charges against a Wichita physician who conducts late-term abortions.
The House Federal and State Affairs Committee adopted the resolution following an acrimonious debate demonstrating the emotional torque abortion topics deliver to the Statehouse. Republican members hailed the resolution as a critical step toward truth and justice, while Democrats denounced it as a shameless political gimmick. Continue.
Judge accused of misconduct
Senator says code broken by not revealing contributions
By Tim Carpenter, Topeka Capital-Journal, March 23, 2007
A state senator filed an ethics complaint Thursday against the Sedgwick County District Court judge who dismissed misdemeanor charges against the state's best-known abortion doctor.
The complaint by Sen. Tim Huelskamp, R-Fowler, asserts Judge Paul Clark violated the judicial code of conduct by not revealing campaign contributions accepted from lawyers who won Clark's dismissal in December of 30 criminal counts filed against Dr. George Tiller by then-Attorney General Phill Kline. Continue.
Kline action seen as messy
Sebelius faults efforts aimed at abortion doctor
by Tim Carpenter, Topeka Capital-Journal, December 29, 2006
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius chided Attorney General Phill Kline on Thursday for sidestepping state law in his unsuccessful attempt to prosecute a Wichita physician accused of performing illegal abortions.
"It is not appropriate, to me, to have an attorney general who isn't following Kansas law," she said. Continue.
Kline loses fight to have charges against Tiller reinstated
By Tim Carpenter, Topeka Capital-Journal, December 28, 2006
WICHITA — Attorney General Phill Kline was dealt a legal rebuke Wednesday by a Sedgwick County judge who refused to reinstate 30 misdemeanor charges against the state's highest-profile abortion doctor. Continue.
Judge won't revive charges against abortion doctor
He rules that Kansas' attorney general lacked authority to push the criminal case forward.
By Stephanie Simon, The Los Angeles Times, December 28, 2006
A district court judge Wednesday refused to reinstate criminal charges against a nationally known abortion doctor, ruling that the Kansas attorney general had overstepped his authority in the case.
Outgoing Atty. Gen. Phill Kline last week charged Dr. George Tiller with performing illegal late-term abortions at his Wichita clinic and failing to report them accurately to state authorities. Hours later, Sedgwick County Judge Paul W. Clark dismissed the case on jurisdictional grounds: Only the locally elected district attorney, he said, had the power to bring such charges.
Kline asked Clark to reconsider. At a brief hearing Wednesday, the judge took another look at the legal arguments -- and upheld his previous decision. Continue.
Kansas judge dismisses abortion charges
The outgoing attorney general's case against a doctor is tossed. 'This is war,' says the head of Kansans for Life.
By Stephanie Simon, The Los Angeles Times, December 23, 2006
Hours after the outgoing attorney general of Kansas charged one of the nation's few late-term abortion providers with illegally aborting viable fetuses, a judge dismissed the charges, ruling Friday that the attorney general had overstepped his authority.
Atty. Gen. Phill Kline angrily vowed to get the charges reinstated executive director of the anti-abortion group Kansans for Life. Continue.
Kline speaks out against dismissal of charges
By Steve Fry, Topeka Capital-Journal, December 23, 2006
Attorney General Phill Kline said Friday he had jurisdiction to file the 30 misdemeanor criminal charges against a Wichita doctor who performs abortions that a Sedgwick County District Court judge had dismissed just hours earlier.
The judge dismissed the charges against Dr. George Tiller, citing a law that prohibits an attorney general from filing charges "without invitation, request or acquiescence" of a county attorney or district attorney. Continue.
Judge dismisses Kline's case against Tiller
The Associated Press, Topeka Capital-Journal December 22, 2006
WICHITA -- A Sedgwick County judge dismissed 30 misdemeanor criminal charges against Wichita physician and abortion provider George Tiller, less than a day after recently defeated Attorney General Phill Kline filed them.
Judge Paul W. Clark dismissed the case against Tiller after Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston said that her office hadn't been consulted by Kline, a vocal opponent of abortion. Continue.
Johnson County GOP taps A.G.
Kline to take over district attorney seat vacated by Morrison
By John Hanna, The Associated Press, Topeka Capital-Journal, December 12, 2006
LENEXA — Republican activists chose Attorney General Phill Kline as Johnson County's new district attorney Monday night to replace the Democrat who ousted him from statewide office last month. Continue.
Tiller Escapes Charges of Performing Illegal Late-Term Abortions
Focus on the Family, December 22, 2006
Just one day after Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline filed criminal charges against a Wichita abortionist for performing illegal late-term abortions, the county district attorney successfully moved to have all 30 charges dropped.
The charges against George Tiller stem from an investigation by Kline spanning several years. In 2004, Kline requested to see abortion records from two clinics in order to determine whether they contained evidence of criminal activity. Kline was looking for an indication that clinics failed to report the abuse of minors or whether they performed illegal late-term abortions. Continue.
DA Drops Tiller Charges -- Operation Rescue Says Cronyism Thwarts Justice in Kansas
News release, Operation Rescue, December 22, 2006
WICHITA, Kansas, Dec. 22 /Christian Newswire/ -- District Attorney Nola Foulston has successfully moved to drop the 30 charges against late-term abortionist George R. Tiller filed yesterday in Sedgwick County District Court by Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline. The motion was made because, under Kansas Law, charges can only be filed by an Attorney General at the invitation of the District Attorney or request of the governor or legislature. All charges have been dropped. Continue.
Abortion clinics’ request rejected
Kline investigation of medical records allowed to continue
By Scott Rothschild, Lawrence Journal-World, December 1, 2006
Topeka -- Attorney General Phill Kline’s investigation into two abortion clinics will continue after the Kansas Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a request from the clinics to take control of the probe.
Kline, who will remain in office just five more weeks, said he was pleased by the court’s ruling, adding that the clinics’ efforts "were without legal basis." Continue.
2 abortion clinics want Fox's O'Reilly investigated
By The Associated Press, November 7, 2006
TOPEKA, Kan. — Two abortion clinics asked the state's highest court yesterday to investigate Attorney General Phill Kline and Fox television's Bill O'Reilly over O'Reilly's statements that he had information from Kansas abortion records.
A Kline spokeswoman called the clinics' move "a political ploy." Continue.
Kansas A.G. inquiry into abortion clinics to continue; court outburst ‘unproductive,’ pro-life lawyer says
By Tom Strode, Baptist Press, November 13, 2006
WASHINGTON (BP)--Kansas voters removed Attorney General Phill Kline from office in the Nov. 7 election, but that apparently will not halt his investigation into two abortion clinics.
Democrat challenger Paul Morrison, Johnson County district attorney, gained 58 percent of the vote to defeat Kline in a race marked by controversy and by special interest from both sides in the abortion debate. Continue.
Kansas Attorney General Alarms Abortion-Rights Groups
By John Hanna, The Washington Post, September 27, 2006
TOPEKA, Kan. -- GQ magazine declared he would do anything to stop abortion and called him the future of the anti-abortion movement. Planned Parenthood put him on a list of 15 Americans it saw as major threats to abortion rights.
Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline has emerged as one of the nation's foremost foes of abortion by tangling with abortion clinics and health care providers in this heartland state, where is now running for a second term. Continue.
Kentucky
Kentucky General Assembly: Bills require in-person counseling for abortion
Women would have to be told about risks and alternatives
By Tom Loftus, The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky), March 1, 2006
"Women seeking abortions would have to be told in person of medical risks and alternatives at least 24 hours before the procedure, under two bills that advanced in the Senate and House yesterday.
"Women now normally receive that information from a recorded telephone message." Click here to read the report.
Louisiana
Blanco signs law that would ban abortions
Reuters, ABC News, June 17, 2006
Jun 17, 2006 — NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Louisiana Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco signed into law a ban on most abortions, which would be triggered if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its 1973 ruling legalizing the procedure, a spokesman said on Saturday. Continue
States, Supreme Court Take Action on Abortion Bans
Guttmacher Institute, June 22, 2006
On June 17, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco signed a “trigger law” designed to ban almost all abortions in the event that the Supreme Court overturns its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision or the U.S. Constitution is amended to allow states to restrict abortion. Continue
Louisiana enacts no-exceptions abortion law
 by JewsOnFirst.org, June 8, 2006
We were astonished by the law the Louisiana legislature passed this week outlawing abortion -- with no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. So we asked Governor Kathleen Blanco, a Democrat, why she plans to sign the bill. We also got a comment from NARAL Pro-choice America, which views the law as a dire threat to women all over the country. And, from an organization that serves Louisiana's victims of sexual assault, we obtained some stark research on the damage this law could do to women and girls. PLease click here for our report.
The "why" of the Louisiana abortion bill
By Rabbi Jeff Kurtz-Lendner, June 9, 2006
 Rabbi Kurtz-Lendner, whose congregation is across the lake from New Orleans, explains why Louisiana is passing such a draconian abortion bill. "I can tell you why Louisiana's Democratic governor plans on signing the bill," he writes, examining the state's political make-up and the continuing effects of Hurricane Katrina. Click here for his analysis.
House endorses abortion bill
Near-total ban makes exception only in mother's health
By Marsha Shuler, The Advocate (Baton Rouge, Louisiana), June 1, 2006
The House on Wednesday overwhelmingly endorsed a near total ban on abortions in Louisiana.
On an 85-17 vote, the House approved legislation that would only allow abortions when the mother's life and health, in some cases, is at stake.
The vote came after more than two hours of debate and rejection of a key amendment that would have allowed abortion in cases of rape and incest. Continue
Louisiana House approves strict ban on abortion
By Doug Simpson, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana), May 31, 2006
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The Louisiana House approved a near-total ban on abortion on Wednesday, a measure that could only go into effect if the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision is overturned.
House members rejected an attempt by Rep. Charlie DeWitt, D-Alexandria, to allow exceptions for rape and incest victims. Dewitt's amendment failed on a vote of 37-66 after opponents argued that the measure should prevent as many abortions as possible. Continue
Louisiana Legislature, Governor Give Green Light to Criminal Ban on Abortion
News Relese, NARAL Pro-Choice America, June 6, 2006
Washington, DC— Today, Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, issued the following statement in response to the Louisiana legislature's passage of a bill to ban abortion. The ban, intended to take effect if Roe v. Wade is overturned, would outlaw abortion in Louisiana in nearly all circumstances. The action comes less than three months after Gov. Mike Rounds (R-SD) of South Dakota signed into law a ban on abortion that supporters touted as a direct challenge to Roe.
"The Louisiana legislature's vote to criminalize abortion and Gov. Kathleen Blanco's (D-LA) recent statement that she would refuse to veto this attack on privacy is the next step in a campaign led by extreme anti-choice groups and their allies to overturn Roe v. Wade." Click here
Louisiana's Democratic governor to sign abortion bill with no exceptions for rape or incest
Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, June 2, 2006
According to Kaiser's summary, the bill provides for high fines and imprisonment for abortion providers but not for the woman who undergoes the procedure. The measure will take effect when the Supreme Court reverses Roe vs. Wade. Click here for the summary.
Louisiana House Approves Ban on Most Abortions, Senate Expected to Agree
by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com, June 1, 2006
Baton Rouge, LA (LifeNews.com) -- The Louisiana state House has approved a ban on most abortions that is different from a South Dakota one in that it will only go into effect if the Supreme Court overturns the Roe v. Wade decision that allowed virtually unlimited abortion.
On an 85-17 vote, the House backed the measure, which would prohibit all abortions except those necessary to save the woman's life or to prevent permanent and major health problems. As a result, almost all abortions in the state would be prohibited if Roe is reversed.
Passage of the bill was never a question but the most contentious issue during debate on the House floor was whether or not to add exceptions for rape and incest. Amendments sponsored by Rep. Charlie Dewitt (D) to add those exceptions failed 67-36. Continue
Michigan
Federal Appeals Court Rejects Michigan’s Ban on a Controversial Method of Abortion
By Libby Sander, The New York Times, June 5, 2007
The State of Michigan’s third attempt in a decade to ban a procedure known among anti-abortion activists as partial-birth abortion was declared unconstitutional by a federal appeals court on Monday, less than two months after the Supreme Court narrowly upheld a federal law banning the method.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit said the Michigan statute, the Legal Birth Definition Act, was worded so broadly that in addition to banning the procedure, it would also prohibit other legal abortion methods.
The court said the Legislature took a "dragnet approach" to regulating the procedure, which is known medically as "intact dilation and extraction" and involves removing the fetus intact rather than dismembering it in the uterus. The law "showed no meaningful attempt to comply with the constitutional limitations articulated by federal courts in the area of abortion law," Judge Boyce F. Martin Jr. wrote for the court. Continue.
Michigan Abortion Ban Appeal Denied
By Jon Schultz, The State News (Michigan State University), June 6, 2007
A federal appeals court ruled Monday that an attempt to ban what opponents call "partial-birth abortion" is unconstitutional due to the law's broad language.The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a September 2005 federal district court ruling, which struck down the Legal Birth Definition Act.While the act itself would not have directly banned a specific abortion procedure, it attempted to define when a human being is legally born. Continue.
Federal Appeals Court Declares Michigan's Abortion Law Unconstitutional, Rules Too Sweeping
By David Eggert, Associated Press, San Diego Union Tribune, June 4, 2007
Lansing, Michigan. A federal appeals court Monday rejected Michigan's attempt to ban a procedure opponents call partial-birth abortion, ruling the law unconstitutional because it could also prohibit other abortion procedures. A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal said the Michigan Legislature would have been "virtually guaranteed" a favorable result on appeal had it copied an Ohio law that the 6th Circuit already has upheld. "It instead opted to use statutory language that pushed almost every boundary that the Supreme Court has imposed for these types of laws," the judges said. Previous attempts by Michigan lawmakers to stop the procedure were struck down by federal courts in 1997 and 2001. The U.S. Supreme Court in April upheld the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, with the majority opinion carefully distinguishing the controversial procedure from a more common abortion method used in the second trimester of pregnancy. The latter was unaffected by the ruling. Continue.
In The Courts | 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Panel Rules Michigan Law Banning Some Abortions Unconstitutional
News Release, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, June 5, 2007
A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati on Monday upheld a lower court decision that declared unconstitutional a Michigan law banning so-called "partial-birth" abortions, ruling the law poses an "undue burden" on women seeking the procedure, the New York Times reports (Sander, New York Times, 6/5). The American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for Reproductive Rights and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America in March 2005 filed suit in federal court to prevent enforcement of the state law, known as the Legal Birth Definition Act, which would have changed the legal definition of birth to the first moment any part of a fetus is outside a woman's body. The measure, which became law in June 2004, was scheduled to take effect on March 30, 2005, but U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood approved a temporary restraining order preventing it from being enforced. Continue.
Reproductive Rights Groups Hail Decision Striking Down Michigan's Third Attempt at a Dangerous and Extreme Ban on Abortion
News Release, American Civil Liberties Union, June 4, 2007
Cincinnati - The American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Reproductive Rights, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America today hailed a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit striking down Michigan's third attempt at a dangerous and extreme ban on abortion. The ban would prohibit nearly all abortions and fails to provide an adequate exception to protect women's health. "We are pleased that the court recognized the importance of stopping an extreme ban that would have prohibited nearly all abortion in Michigan," said Brigitte Amiri, a staff attorney with the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project. Continue.
Michigan Attorney General May Appeal Partial-Birth Abortion Ruling
By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com, June 6, 2007
Lansing, MI (LifeNews.com) Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox says he is planning to study a decision released earlier this week by a federal appeals court striking down a Michigan law that bans partial-birth abortions. He said he is considering appealing the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court in order to get the law upheld. "We're in the process of reviewing the court's opinion. Obviously, we will be considering it in light of the Supreme Court's Gonzales ruling, which upheld the federal ban on partial-birth abortions," Cox spokesman Rusty Hills said Tuesday. The nation's high court upheld the national partial-birth abortion ban in April but the language of it is different from the Michigan law. Continue.
Michigan Ban on Partial-Birth Abortions Ruled Void in Federal Court
By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com, June 3, 2007
Lansing, MI (LifeNews.com) A federal appeals court has ruled the Michigan ban on partial-birth abortions unconstitutional in a decision released Monday. The court released the decision because the language of the ban in Michigan is different from the language of the federal partial-birth abortion ban the Supreme Court recently upheld. The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals said it was reluctant to overturn the law, but indicated that Michigan legislators could have used other bans as models, such as an Ohio ban that it had already upheld. "We certainly are reluctant to interfere with a statute that represents the will of the elected representatives of the people of Michigan," the appeals court said. Continue.
Mississippi
Legislature moves closer to abortion-ban agreement
"This is as good as we will get this session," committee chair says
By Natalie Chandler, The Clarion-Ledger, (Jackson, Mississippi), February 23, 2007
A bill that would ban most abortions in Mississippi could be finalized as early as next week since a key Senate chairman said he probably will agree to changes the House made Thursday.
"My tendency is to say, this is as good as we will get this session, so let's take the offer and move on," Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee Chairman Alan Nunnelee, R-Tupelo, said after the House approved the bill. Continue.
Senate passes abortion ban, House leader vows to kill bill
By John Mott Coffey, The Commericial Dispatch (Columbus, Mississippi), February 8, 2007
JACKSON - The state Senate passed a bill Wednesday to ban most abortions in Mississippi, but the House chairman in charge of such legislation said he's going to kill it.
"I have no intention of taking up any pro-life bills this year," said House Public Health and Human Services Chairman Steve Holland, D-Plantersville. Continue.
Pro-life activist not surprised at legislator's threat on bills
Rusty Pugh, OneNewsNow.com, February 16, 2007
A Mississippi pro-life activist says she's not surprised that a state representative known for being pro-abortion would object to three bills designed to save human lives. That lawmaker has essentially vowed to prevent the bills from advancing out of a committee that he chairs.
Mississippi House Speaker Billy McCoy has joined hands with Representative Steve Holland to kill the three pro-life bills passed overwhelmingly by the Mississippi Senate. Speaker McCoy sent the three bills to the House Public Health and Human Services Committee, which is chaired by Holland. Continue.
Protesters battle over Mississippi abortion clinic
By Beth Walton, USA TODAY, July 16, 2006
Hundreds of abortion-rights advocates and abortion opponents rallied in Jackson, Miss., on Sunday for the second day of a planned weeklong battle over attempts to shut down the state's last abortion clinic.
Police tightened security around the clinic, Jackson Women's Health Organization, and stationed officers throughout the city for the duration of the rallies that began Saturday.
Operation Save America (OSA), a national group that opposes abortion, targeted the Jackson clinic this year. The group said that a statewide "victory" in Mississippi would send a message to activists everywhere that the battle to end abortion can be won. Continue
Mississippi abortion bill dies this session
AP, Picayune-Item (Southern Mississippi), March 28, 2006
"A bill to ban most abortions in Mississippi died Monday night after House and Senate negotiators failed to reach a compromise before a deadline." Click here.
See also: coverage by the Feminist Majority Foundation, which includes a link to support the Jackson Women's Health Organization. (Click here.)
Senate negotiation may kill abortion bill
House Public Health chairman doesn't want changes, new vote
By Laura Hipp, Jackson Clarion-Ledger, March 16, 2006
This report details first signs of political trouble for Mississippi's bill banning abortion. Click here for the report.
Mississippi Abortion Ban
Planned Parenthood action alert, March 17, 2006
We need your help NOW to stop the domino effect. The abortion ban in South Dakota was only the beginning. In the next five days, we expect Gov. Haley Barbour to make Mississippi the second state to ban abortions. And 10 more states have proposed criminalizing abortion. Act now to stop the dominoes from falling. Add your voice to the outcry to protect the women of Mississippi from a dangerous ban.
Tell Gov. Barbour and your governor that Americans do not support any bans on the right to choose. Click here to take action.
Mississippi House passes ban on most abortions
By Michael Fous, Baptist Press March 3, 2006
"Adding momentum to what some see as a national challenge to Roe v. Wade, Mississippi's House of Representatives easily passed a bill March 2 banning most abortions.
"The bill, Senate Bill 2922, passed 94-25 and bans all abortions except in the cases of rape, incest and to save the life of the mother. It now heads to the Senate. Click here to continue.
Mississippi Govenor: I'll Probably Sign Abortion Ban Bill
Fox News, March 1, 2006
"Gov. Haley Barbour said Wednesday he would probably sign a bill under consideration in the state House that would ban most abortions in Mississippi. The measure, which passed the House Public Health Committee on Tuesday, would allow abortion only to save a woman's life. It would make no exception in cases of rape or incest. Click here to read the report.
New Hampshire
Bill proposes fetal homicide law
Unborn babies would be separate victims
By Anne Ruderman, The Concord Monitor, February 14, 2006
A bill in the New Hampshire House would allow the murderer of a pregnant woman to be charged with the additional murder of her fetus. "Anti-abortion activists say the bill is the only way to recognize the hurt and loss of an unborn baby, while abortion rights supporters argue that the measure is simply an attempt to chip away at abortion rights by identifying the fetus as a separate being." Click here to read the report.
Abortion law repeal on table
Lawmakers weigh partial or full rollback
By Sarah Liebowitz, Concord Monitor, February 3 2007
New Hampshire's parental-notification law will return to the spotlight next week, as lawmakers hold the first hearing on a bill to delete the controversial abortion statute. And when the hearing opens, some lawmakers will be debating an additional question: Whether state law should include notification, either through an amendment to the repeal or in separate legislation.
The repeal would end the legal dispute over the law, which has been rejected by two federal courts as unconstitutional. At issue is the fact that the law doesn't exempt minors from notifying their parents before getting an abortion, even if their health is at risk. Currently, the law is in the hands of U.S. District Court Judge Joseph DiClerico, who this week decided to postpone deciding the statute's fate until lawmakers consider the repeal. Continue.
Ohio
Ohio Abortion Law Would give Fathers a Say State Legislators Propose Change;
Opponents Blast Bill as ‘Extreme’
by Mike Hixenbaugh, Record-Courier (Ravenna, Kent, Stow, Ohio), Via Common Dreams, August 2, 2007
Several Ohio state representatives who normally take an anti-abortion stance are now pushing pro-choice legislation - sort of.
Led by Rep. John Adams, a group of state legislators have submitted a bill that would give fathers of unborn children a final say in whether or not an abortion can take place. Continue.
Legislator tries again to ban all abortions
Republican thinks a law could spur Supreme Court to reverse Roe v. Wade
Catherine Candisky, The Columbus Dispatch, July 12, 2007
Success is unlikely for Rep. Tom Brinkman Jr.'s bill: The governor would veto it; his last one didn't go far.
Less than three months after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ban on a controversial late-term abortion procedure, a Cincinnati Republican has reintroduced legislation to outlaw all abortions in Ohio.
Rep. Tom Brinkman Jr. hopes his bill will become the vehicle for overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which legalized abortion.
His introduction of House Bill 284 on Tuesday seems to fulfill predictions that such proposals would flourish nationwide after the high court narrowly concluded that a 2003 federal ban on what opponents call partial-birth abortion did not impose an undue burden on a woman's constitutional right to an abortion. Continue.
State abortion bill still a threat
By Mary McCarty, The Dayton Daily News, January 30, 2007
Last year, the Ohio General Assembly seemed to be at war against itself over women's reproductive rights. There were no fewer than six pending bills regarding abortion and contraception -- three of them restricting access to abortion and contraception, and three granting easier access.
The most controversial, by far, was House Bill 228, which would outlaw all abortions and set the stage, if passed, for a Supreme Court showdown over Roe v. Wade.
Abortion opponents lauded the bill's sponsor, Tom Brinkman, while abortion-rights advocates wondered whether Ohio was launching a full-scale war against women. Continue.
Judge Rejects Ohio Law Limiting Abortion Pill
Focus on the Family, September 28, 2006
A federal judge Wednesday ruled unconstitutional an Ohio law restricting the use of the abortion-inducing drug RU-486, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
RU-486, also called the abortion pill, has been connected to the deaths of at least six women and has caused infection and injury in nearly a thousand more. Continue.
Ohio bill most extreme ban yet on abortion
Legislation has no exception for life of woman
By JewsOnFirst.org, July 6, 2006
An Ohio legislative committee heard testimony last month on a measure that, if passed, would certainly be the nation's most extreme ban on abortion. The bill has no exception for saving a woman's life.
Without an exception to save a woman's life, H. B. 228 subordinates women, their health, their responsibility to their existing children and dependent parents, to a small mass of cells.
Among those testifying for the bill was Pastor Russell Johnson, head of the Ohio Restoration Project and a leader of the "Patriot Pastors," who organize their right-wing evangelical Christian congregations in support of Republican electoral causes. Please click here for our report, which includes links to news reports and hearing testimony.
Abortion in Ohio
by Chris Hayhurst, Choice Magazine (Planned Parenthood), June 15, 2006
Gary Dougherty, executive director of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Ohio says of H.B. 228: "The abortion ban bill is probably the most restrictive abortion bill in the country right now. It allows no exceptions whatsoever. It's a ban on abortion, period. The good news is we've been assured by the Speaker's office that the bill will not move. But experience tells me that once you get into the lame-duck session after the election, all bets are off. The bill may not move, but the concept could move into an amendment to another bill that is moving. For now all we can do is be on the watch and try to be prepared." Click here.
Emotion fills Statehouse hearing on abortion ban
By Marilyn H. Karfeld, Cleveland Jewish News, June 16, 2006
Politics and religion framed the debate at a Statehouse hearing in Columbus this week on a proposed bill banning abortions.
A contingent of Clevelanders joined over 250 passionate supporters and opponents of abortion, who filled a third-floor hearing room and flowed over into the Statehouse atrium. Continue
There are additional reports and hearing testimony at the end of our July 6, 2006 report. Please click here.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Lawmaker Files Bill That Will Reinstate Antiabortion Laws if Roe Is Overturned
Kaiser Network.org Daily Women's Health Report, January 5, 2007
Oklahoma state Rep. Mike Reynolds (R) on Wednesday filed a bill (HB 1014) that would reinstate the state's antiabortion laws if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade -- the 1973 Supreme Court decision that effectively barred state abortion bans -- the Tulsa World reports. Reynolds said the new composition of justices on the Supreme Court increases the chances that Roe will be reconsidered. "This legislation will ensure the state of Oklahoma acts immediately to save the lives of the unborn if we are given the choice," he added. Continue.
Oklahoma Lawmaker Seeks to Ban Abortion
Focus on the Family, January 5, 2007
Oklahoma state Rep. Mike Reynolds has introduced a bill that would ban abortion in the state if the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade is overturned, LifeNews.com reported.
The law, known as a trigger law, would replace an old ban on abortion in Oklahoma that stood prior to the legalization of abortion because it is unclear if it could still be enforced. Continue.
Oregon
Oregon Signatures Turned in for Parental Notification on Abortion Ballot Prop
Steven Ertelt LifeNews.com, July 7, 2006
Pro-life campaigners who are working to put an initiative on the November ballot to allow Oregon residents to vote on the issue of parental notification turned in their signatures a day early. Only needing 75,630 to qualify, organizers of the campaign submitted 115,845 signatures to the secretary of state's office Thursday.
According to the National Right to Life Committee, 22 states have parental consent laws in effect that require a parent to sign off on a teen's abortion before it can be done. Another seven states have notification laws in place that require abortion facilities to notify a parent of a potential abortion beforehand. Condition
South Carolina
SC Passes Mandatory Ultrasound-Viewing Bill, Sees Through Shady Abortion-Getters’ Tricks
by Nicole McClelland, Mother Jones blog, March 27, 2007
In yet another scheme to guilt-trip women out of having abortions, the South Carolina House passed a bill yesterday that requires women to view their own ultrasounds before having the procedure.
Yelling and crying ensued as several representatives begged for inclusion of an amendment waiving the requirement for victims of rape and incest. It failed. So did one that would exempt women in cases in which a judge had found probable cause or issued a warrant for sexual assault charges.
Supporters of the bill, whose churches are evidently not-so-separate from the state building in which they were standing, combatted the pleas for compassion with such infallible arguments as "Are you saying God creates mistakes with the lives he creates?" Continue.
Texas
New rules will require written parental consent for abortions
Forms, which must be notarized, also warn teens of medical risks
Polly Ross Hughes, The Houson Chronicle, Sept. 1, 2006
AUSTIN - After 13 months of intense pressure from opposing factions, the state has adopted rules requiring written - and notarized - parental consent forms for girls under age 18 to get abortions.
The new forms span six pages, warn of medical risks and tout "women's right to know" brochures backed by abortion opponents, said those on opposite sides of the issue. Continue.
Utah
Utah House panel OKs abortion ban
By Rebecca Walsh, Salt Lake Tribune, February 1, 2007 via Faith in Public Life
Utah lawmakers want to take on Roe v. Wade - and cost is no obstacle.
At the last minute Tuesday, House Health and Human Services Committee members adopted an unseen bill that directly challenges the landmark Supreme Court case on abortion.
Legislative attorneys caution that the bill probably will be found unconstitutional. And lawmakers have prepared for that: They plan to establish a litigation fund. No money has been set aside so far, but estimates for the legal bill start at $1 million. Continue.
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