legislation – REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ALERTS

14 Jan

Voters Backed Abortion Rights But State Judges Have Final Say

PatLatest NewsAbortion Rights, Healthcare, legislation, United States

In November, Montana voters safeguarded the right to abortion in the state’s constitution. They also elected a new chief justice to the Montana Supreme Court who was endorsed by anti-abortion advocates. That seeming contradiction is slated to come to a head this year. People on polar sides of the abortion debate are preparing to fight over how far the protection for abortion extends, and the final say will likely come from the seven-person state Supreme Court. With the arrival of new Chief Justice Cory Swanson, who ran as a judicial conservative for the nonpartisan seat and was sworn in Jan. 6,…

09 Jan

Proposal would outlaw use of abortion pills and tighten rape exception

MollyLatest News, United Statesabortion medication, Abortion Pills, Abortion Rights, Bill 171, Bill proposal, Healthcare, Indiana, legislation, medicine, Rape exception, United States

"A new bill would further clamp down on abortions in Indiana by banning procedures using pills and requiring women to file an affidavit of rape to meet one of the state’s few exceptions. Its future is uncertain since it was filed by a Senate Republican — Indianapolis Sen. Mike Young — who has clashed with caucus leadership over Indiana’s abortion ban. The ICC reached out for comment but received no response. “This is a government intrusion into medicine and healthcare with no other purpose but to put extreme ideology into law and take medical options away from patients,” said Indianapolis OB-GYN…

08 Jan

House speaker fight, battles over abortion rights and taxes loom as Missouri lawmakers return

MollyLatest News, United StatesAbortion Rights, accusation, Corrupt politics, General Assembly, Lawmakers, legislation, Misouri, United States

"Republican factional fights are nothing new in the Missouri General Assembly. But what is new this year is the venue — the House of Representatives, where a sophomore lawmaker accusing his colleagues of corrupt politics seeks to upset the usually routine election of a speaker. State Rep. Justin Sparks of Wildwood admits history is against him in his attempt to prevent state Rep. Jon Patterson of Lee’s Summit from becoming speaker. Patterson, who was majority leader in the previous General Assembly, was designated as the GOP candidate for speaker months ago....

07 Jan

With lawsuits and legislation, Texas Republicans take aim at abortion pills

MollyLatest News, United StatesAbortion Care, Abortion Pills, Healthcare, Lawsuits and legislation, legislation, mifepristone, Texas, Texas Republican Party, United States

"Since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states like Texas to ban nearly all abortions, the number of pregnancy terminations in the United States actually increased. This paradox, which pleases abortion advocates as much as it frustrates their conservative counterparts, hinges mostly on pills. An average of 2,800 Texans receive abortion-inducing medications through the mail each month from states that still allow abortion, according to #WeCount, a tracking project from the Society of Family Planning...."

12 Dec

Early voting kicks off in Virginia’s key special elections as reproductive rights take center stage

PatLatest Newslegislation, Reproductive rights, United States, Virginia, Voting

Early voting began on Wednesday for two key special elections in Virginia’s General Assembly, with reproductive rights groups urging support for the Democratic nominees.

11 Dec

Democrats Work To Safeguard Reproductive Health Info From Data Brokers

PatLatest NewsData Privacy, Democrats, Healthcare, legislation, Reproductive rights, United States

Measures at state and national levels would ban brokers from selling health and location data that could be used to track patients seeking abortion care, The 19th reports. Also, despite broad abortion restrictions, most U.S. women aren't seeking family planning services, the CDC has found.

10 Dec

Bill Could Create Liability for Abortion Pills in Tennessee

AlanLatest NewsAbortion Pills, Abortion Rights, Healthcare, legislation, Tennesee

A pair of conflicting abortion bills were introduced to the Tennessee State Legislature Monday and could result in $5 million liability for distributors of abortion pills or a far less likely set of abortion protections

04 Dec

California lawmakers unveil new abortion protections ahead of Trump return to White House

MollyLatest News, United StatesAbortion Access, Abortion Care, abortion medication, Abortion Pills, Abortion Rights, California, Healthcare, Lawmakers, legislation, protections, United States

“California’s lawmakers unveiled two new pieces of legislation to protect abortion access in the state ahead of President-elect Trump’s return to the White House in January. The first of the two bills seeks to protect Californians’ access to abortion, particularly medication abortion….”

03 Dec

Zimbabwe court rules against law that denies abortion to marital rape victims and girls below 18

MollyInternational, Latest NewsAbortion Care, Court, Health care, legislation, Minors, Reproductive care, Ruling, Sexual Assault, victims, zimbabwe

“A law prohibiting abortion services for women raped by their husbands and girls under the age of 18 is unconstitutional, Zimbabwe’s High Court has ruled. In his ruling handed down on Nov. 22 and made public this week, Judge Maxwell Takuva said since Zimbabwe’s laws already criminalize marital rape and sex with a minor, victims should be allowed to abort if they become pregnant….”

01 Dec

These activists wanted more from Missouri’s abortion amendment. They’re not done yet

PatLatest NewsAbortion Rights, Healthcare, legislation, Missouri, Reproductive rights, United States

Some reproductive rights activists say that Amendment 3, which Missouri voters passed in November, didn't go far enough in expanding abortion access to help the most vulnerable populations. One sticking point was the amendment's language setting limits at "fetal viability," which does not have a true medical definition.

28 Nov

Arizona voters said yes to abortion rights, but old restrictions are still on the books

MollyLatest News, United StatesAbortion Rights, Arizona, Ballot, legislation, old restrictions, United States, Vote

“Arizonans overwhelmingly voted to make abortion a fundamental right, but overturning the state’s current 15-week gestational ban — and multiple other anti-abortion laws still on the books — isn’t automatic. Just an hour after she joined Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Republican Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ann Timmer on Monday to certify the results of the 2024 general election, Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes said that officially nullifying the 15-week ban will need to take place in the courts. And, she added, while her office considers the certification of Proposition 139, the abortion rights ballot…

19 Nov

Judge’s ruling temporarily frees Montana abortion clinics from new licensing requirements

PatLatest NewsHealthcare, legislation, Montana, Reproductive rights, United States

Abortion clinics in Montana won’t be subject to new licensing requirements — ones their lawyers said could shut them down — at least for the time being. Last week, a Lewis and Clark County District Court judge said the licensing requirements imposed by House Bill 937 from the 2023 Montana Legislature are likely to violate patients’ rights to equal protection.

18 Nov

7 States Passed Abortion Rights Ballot Measures. But Changes Won’t be Like a “Light Switch,” Experts Say

MollyLatest NewsAbortion Care, Abortion Rights, Ballot, changes, enshrined, Health care, legislation, United States

“While former President Donald Trump’s win of the White House was a blow to many reproductive rights advocates, Election Day some wins when it came to abortion ballot measures. In seven of 10 states, voters chose to protect abortion rights. However, that doesn’t mean abortion rights will go into effect immediately in these states, experts say….”

12 Nov

A state-by-state breakdown of where abortion stands after ballot initiatives pass

BarbraLatest NewsAbortion Rights, legislation, Reproductive rights, United States

In seven states, voters protected abortion rights in their state constitutions.https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/state-state-breakdown-abortion-stands-after-ballot-initiatives/story?id=115730446

10 Nov

Opinion: How could Trump and abortion rights both win?

PatLatest NewsAbortion Rights, legislation, Reproductive rights, United States

Making sense of this election’s very strange abortion politics.