legislation

City Council resolution would shield abortion seekers in Baltimore from out-of-state prosecution

"Baltimore City Council is taking on a bill to further protect abortion providers from out-of-state prosecution. Baltimore City Council resolution 185-r would prevent the city from retaining records that might be used to retaliate against people seeking abortion care. "Health care should be protected, especially reproductive health care," said Karen Nelson, the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Maryland. Maryland passed a law this year protecting patient information from being shared out-of-state without permission...."
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Russia limits women’s access to abortion, citing demographic changes

"...Terminating a pregnancy is a legal and widely available procedure in Russia, but in recent weeks and months, a flurry of new laws appear to limit abortion access amid fears of further population declines and a push towards conservatism. In August and November, two Russian regions – Mordovia and Tver – passed laws punishing anyone found to “coerce” women into abortions. In October, lawmakers approved legislation restricting access to abortion drugs, measures that could also affect the sale of some contraceptives...."
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Texas Supreme Court considers abortion challenge

"The Supreme Court of Texas heard arguments Tuesday in a landmark case that could impact how the state’s abortion laws apply to medically complicated pregnancies. In August, state District Judge Jessica Mangrum ruled that the near-total abortion ban cannot be enforced in cases involving complicated pregnancies, including lethal fetal diagnoses. The state immediately appealed that ruling, putting it on hold. Texas law allows abortions only when it is necessary to save the life of the pregnant patient. But this lawsuit, filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights in March, claims that doctors are unsure when the medical exception applies, resulting in delayed or…
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Missouri rape hotline reporting requirement in abortion-rights petition draws criticism

"...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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Judge rejects attempt to enshrine abortion rights on Nevada ballot

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

"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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Why the abortion issue matters

“American Elections Are About Abortion Now,” reads the headline over a New York Times column. New York magazine puts it more bluntly: “Abortion Wins Elections.” Every voter cares about many issues. Every election turns on many factors. Without a doubt, however, abortion gives the Democrats enormous leverage to counteract Joe Biden’s considerable weaknesses. As party strategist Tom Bonior wrote in his Times essay, “abortion could plausibly be the deciding factor next November.”
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What to know about abortion and the 2024 election

Perhaps no issue is thornier for the 2024 Republican presidential primary candidates than abortion. Republican leaders widely cheered the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. But since then, they have found that going too far on abortion restrictions can be a political liability.
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Lawyers for religious leaders challenging Missouri abortion ban say law imposes beliefs on everyone

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Missouri lawmakers intended to “impose their religious beliefs on everyone" in the state when they passed a restrictive abortion ban, lawyers for a group of religious leaders who support abortion rights said at a court hearing Thursday.
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Oklahoma Supreme Court keeps anti-abortion laws on hold while challenge is pending

"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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President Biden Signs Memorandum on Women’s Health Research Initiative

President Biden delivered brief remarks as he signed a memorandum establishing the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, saying it would help solidify federal efforts to boost medical research of specific interest to women. First lady Jill Biden also offered her thanks to some of those in attendance who had advocated for the initiative’s creation, including journalist, advocate, and former first lady of California Maria Schriver.
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