Molly

423 Posts
28 Nov

Missouri rape hotline reporting requirement in abortion-rights petition draws criticism

MollyLatest News, United States, , , , ,
"...An initiative petition effort to add an exemption for rape victims to Missouri’s abortion ban is officially underway, alongside provisions that would prohibit the government from interfering with access to an abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and provide immunity from prosecution for women who receive abortions and for those who help them. But the proposed constitutional amendment would require women seeking an abortion following a rape to report the assault to a crisis hotline, an idea that has drawn criticism from some survivors and advocates who worry it will be a barrier to accessing care...."
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28 Nov

Idaho asks US Supreme Court to allow near-total abortion ban

MollyLatest News, United States, , , , , ,
"Idaho officials on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily halt a federal judge's ruling that blocked the Republican-governed state from enforcing its near-total abortion ban in medical-emergency situations following a legal challenge by Democratic President Joe Biden's administration. Republican state officials urged the justices to pause U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill's August 2022 preliminary injunction issued after he concluded that the state's abortion restrictions conflicted with a federal law that ensures that patients can receive emergency "stabilizing care."..."
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24 Nov

Judge rejects attempt to enshrine abortion rights on Nevada ballot

MollyUnited States, , , , ,
"A judge in Nevada rejected a proposed 2024 ballot initiative that sought to enshrine reproductive rights, including abortion, in the state’s constitution. Siding with a newly established PAC — the Coalition for Parents and Children PAC — which filed a lawsuit last month to block the petition, District Judge James T. Russell deemed the proposed ballot initiative to be too broad, embracing a “multitude of subjects that amount to logrolling.”"
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24 Nov

Protecting healthcare workers advocating for safe abortion: Amnesty International abortion defenders report launch

MollyUnited States, , , ,
"Amnesty International has released a new global report, An Unstoppable Movement: A global call to recognize and protect those who defend the right to safe abortions, highlighting the attacks, intimidation and criminalisation healthcare workers and activists face for supporting the right of women and girls  to access abortions. Based on more than 40 personal interviews and supported by several organisations including FIGO, the report reveals the harrowing experiences of  healthcare workers, activists and advocates around the world who face abuse, arrest, prosecution and imprisonment for their work...."
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23 Nov

Abortions rose 5% in year before Roe was overturned: CDC

MollyUnited States, , , , , ,
"The number of abortions in the U.S. increased 5% the year before Roe v. Wade was overturned, with women in their 20s accounting for nearly 6 in 10 of the procedures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Wednesday. Why it matters: The 2021 data from CDC's annual abortion incidence report track with earlier research showing demand for abortions was trending upward before the Supreme Court struck down federal protection of the procedure. 53% of procedures that year were medication abortions — and use of abortion pills at or before nine weeks of gestation rose 3% from 2020 to 2021...."
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21 Nov

Births have increased in states with abortion bans, research finds

MollyUnited States, , , ,
"Nearly a quarter of people seeking an abortion in the United States were unable to get one due to bans that took effect after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, researchers estimate. In the first half of 2023, states with abortion bans had an average fertility rate that was 2.3% higher than states where abortion was not restricted, according to the analysis – leading to about 32,000 more births than expected...."
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21 Nov

Alliance Defending Freedom asks U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in Idaho abortion case

MollyUnited States, , , , , , ,
"Attorneys for two national law firms have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in a federal case in Idaho regarding whether emergency room physicians can continue to be shielded from prosecution under the state’s abortion ban. If the court were to grant the motion, ER doctors in Idaho would again be subject to criminal penalties and loss of medical licenses for performing an abortion unless it qualified under the state exception to save the pregnant patient’s life...."
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21 Nov

Texas businesses say abortion ban costs state nearly $15 billion a year

MollyUnited States, , , ,
"40 Texas companies and business leaders are entering the fight against Texas’ abortion ban, filing a brief with the Texas Supreme Court that argues the “ambiguity” in the laws medical exceptions cost the state an estimated $14.5 billion in lost revenue every year. Austin-based dating app giant Bumble is leading the effort, submitting an amicus brief ahead of the high court’s arguments in Zurawski v. Texas. Lead plaintiff Amanda Zurawski is challenging the state’s abortion ban after she nearly died of sepsis due to a pregnancy complication. She says the Texas abortion ban’s vague medical exceptions prevented her doctor from providing a…
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21 Nov

Abortions in Alaska can only be performed by doctors. Is that about to change?

MollyUnited States, , , , , , , , ,
"Only doctors can perform abortions in Alaska, according to a 50-year-old law. That means advanced practice clinicians, such as physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurse midwives can’t perform abortions in the state, even when they have the proper training. And non-physicians aren’t allowed to prescribe pills to induce abortion, either. Planned Parenthood’s Alaska chapter argues that this restriction limits access to abortion. So, the chapter filed a lawsuit against the state in 2018 to challenge the law.  Superior Court Judge Josie Garton heard arguments in the case the week of Nov. 13 in an Anchorage courtroom...."
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21 Nov

How to Have Effective Conversations About Abortion at Family Gatherings

MollyOpinion, ,
"The holidays are almost here, and I’ll admit I’m a little anxious about discussing certain topics at the dinner table with extended family. I’ve got some very outspoken anti-abortion relatives. And even though I work to advance reproductive rights for a living, it can still be incredibly difficult to have meaningful conversations with them about abortion.  I know it’s going to come up, though, and I need to be prepared. Abortion continues to be a major issue in the news. Recently, Ohio became the seventh state in which voters directly backed abortion access with a ballot measure since Roe v. Wade was struck down by the U.S.…
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15 Nov

Oklahoma Supreme Court keeps anti-abortion laws on hold while challenge is pending

MollyLatest News, United States, , , , , , ,
"The Oklahoma Supreme Court reiterated its position on Tuesday in a 5-4 opinion that the state constitution guarantees a woman’s right to an abortion when necessary to preserve her life, although the procedure remains illegal in virtually all other cases. In a case involving a legal challenge to five separate anti-abortion bills passed by the Legislature in 2021, the court ordered a lower court to keep in place a temporary ban on three of those laws while the merits of the case are considered. Two of the laws were already put on hold by a district court judge."
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14 Nov

Polish Left Submits Bills To Liberalise Abortion Law

MollyInternational, Latest News, , , , , , ,
"Poland's leftists, part of a coalition in control of the new parliament, said on Tuesday they had submitted two bills to liberalise one of Europe's most restrictive abortion laws. Abortion in the majority-Catholic country is currently legal only if the pregnancy results from sexual assault or incest or threatens the life or health of the woman. "One of them provides for full legalisation of the right to terminate a pregnancy until the 12th week," Left lawmaker Anna Maria Zukowska told AFP. "The other is a bill decriminalising abortion assistance," she added. The draft legislation was submitted on Monday, when Poland's…
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11 Nov

Feds: Alabama can’t enforce abortion travel ban

MollyLatest News, United States, , , , , , , ,
"The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday said Alabama cannot use conspiracy laws to prosecute people and groups who help women leave the state to obtain abortions. The Justice Department filed a statement of its position in consolidated lawsuits against Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, arguing that such prosecutions would be unconstitutional. The lawsuits, filed by an abortion fund and former providers, seek a court ruling clarifying the state can’t use conspiracy statutes to prosecute people who help Alabama women travel elsewhere to obtain an abortion. Marshall has not prosecuted anyone for providing such assistance, but he has made statements saying that…
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11 Nov

Some states want to prevent people from crossing state lines for abortions

MollyLatest News, United States, , , , ,
"A federal judge and the U.S. Department of Justice this week said that states are going too far by trying to block people from helping others cross state lines for abortion. A ruling in Idaho and the federal government taking sides in an Alabama lawsuit are far from the final word, but they could offer clues on whether an emerging area of abortion regulation may eventfully hold up in court...."
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11 Nov

Ohio GOP lawmakers call to block courts from implementing new abortion amendment

MollyLatest News, United States, , , , , , ,
"Several Ohio Republican lawmakers are proposing to strip courts of the authority to review cases related to implementing the newly passed Issue 1 abortion amendment.  In a statement released Thursday, four GOP lawmakers claimed without evidence that there was “foreign election interference” in the vote to pass Issue 1, and threatened to block the ability of courts to interpret the new constitutional amendment...."
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