A federal judge in Florida blocked a law on Friday that would have required anyone offering advice about abortions to register with the state and provide those seeking advice with a detailed explanation of the abortion procedure and alternatives.
The law, which was signed by Gov. Rick Scott last year, would have required abortion “advisers” to pay a $200 fee and offer a “full and complete” definition of abortion and its benefits and drawbacks. What that definition needed to include ...
reproductive-rights
Illinois governor reverses course, will expand abortion access for low-income residents
It’s been a surprisingly successful week for reproductive rights activists, after Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) said Thursday he would sign into law a bill that would expand taxpayer-subsidized abortions for those covered by Medicaid and state employee insurance.
In April, Rauner said he would veto the bill, but reversed course after meeting with activist groups both for and against the legislation.
“I believe that a woman living with limited financial means should not be pu...
The U.S. is still behind the rest of the world on access to birth control pills
There are 102 countries in the world where you can buy birth control pills without seeing your doctor, but the United States isn’t one of them.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has endorsed the idea of true access to over-the-counter birth control since 2012 and 76 percent of doctors and 70 percent of other health care providers have said that people should have over-the-counter access.
One common concern is whether people who can get pregnant ...
Graham and Cassidy were asked why they’re defunding Planned Parenthood. Their answers were ridiculous
Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) invoked highly edited, debunked videos targeting Planned Parenthood from 2015 at a CNN town hall Monday night when a woman shared her story of how Planned Parenthood helped her have children.
Graham, along with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), has been spearheading a repeal and replace bill in the Senate that would, among other things, defund Planned Parenthood.
The woman at Monday’s town hall told a story about when Planned Parenthood discovered cysts and...
Indiana judge blocks anti-choice law in Indiana, marking a win for Planned Parenthood
A federal judge has issued a permanent injunction against an Indiana law that would have prohibited abortions sought specifically because the fetus had been potentially diagnosed with Down syndrome or other disabilities. The law also would have required that aborted fetuses be buried or cremated and that abortion providers notify patients that seeking an abortion because the fetus may be disabled was against the law in the state.
The restrictions were signed into law in March 2016 b...
Reproductive rights activists say the Democratic Party is throwing them under the bus
The DCCC chairman said Monday there’s no litmus test for being a Democrat. Activists couldn’t disagree more.Seattle Storm fans and others cheer at a rally in support of Planned Parenthood before a WNBA basketball game between the Storm and the Chicago Sky on Tuesday, July 18, 2017, in Seattle. CREDIT: AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) said Monday that the Democratic Congressional Camp...
Abortion rights face a full-on assault at the state level
A new report shows more than two dozen states have introduced legislation targeting abortion rights.Activists dressed as characters from “The Handmaid’s Tale” chant in the Texas Capitol Rotunda as they protest SB8, a bill that would require health care facilities, including hospitals and abortion clinics, to bury or cremate any fetal remains whether from abortion, miscarriage or stillbirth, and they wou...