National Abortion Federation Blog: Saporta Reporter
| News about reproductive choice from the President and CEO of the National Abortion Federation, Vicki Saporta. |
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We continue to mourn the loss of our friend and colleague, Dr. George Tiller. Dr. Tiller was a dedicated physician who provided quality abortion care to women, at great personal sacrifice and risk. He is truly a hero to his fellow abortion providers and his patients. Dr. Tiller’s office is filled with letters from women, thanking him for the excellent, compassionate care he provided. Many of these women say Dr. Tiller saved their lives.
Since his tragic death, we have received messages from some of his patients and from people around the world who are saddened and outraged. We feel it is important to share these words and tributes to our beloved colleague and friend. For the first time, we will enable comments on our blog so that all of you can share your condolences or offer memories of Dr. Tiller. We invite you to join us in honoring a true American hero, Dr. George Tiller.
Post your comments, condolences, and personal memories of Dr. Tiller
Yesterday, I took part in a press conference about a bill that would stop the deceptive advertising practices of Crisis Pregnancy Centers. Here is my statement.Read the New York Sun article about the bill. Read the text of the bill. Labels: advertising, crisis pregnancy center (CPC)
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News Roundup
The Associated Press reports that the South Dakota abortion ban may not apply to the state’s Native American reservations. The Houston Chronicle reports on how women in Texas are struggling with state cuts to reproductive health care services. Connie Schultz, a columnist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, writes about how religious faith supports pro-choice values. Read the article. The Toronto-based National Post published a column calling for a Canadian law restricting abortion. Labels: abortion bans, Canada, South Dakota
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Mississippi Abortion Ban Fails
The Mississippi abortion ban died in session last night. Read the story in the Houston Chronicle. The Associated Press reports that an anti-abortion group is challenging a Pittsburgh ordinance that protects clinics from harassing protestors. Labels: abortion bans, state legislation
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Mobilizing The States
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports on how the South Dakota abortion ban is mobilizing new activists in the states. Read the article. The New York Times had an editorial on Saturday commending Senators Patty Murray and Hillary Clinton for blocking the nomination of a new FDA chief until the agency issues a decision on emergency contraception. Read more.Newsday has a new review of Eyal Press’ memoir about his father, who is an abortion provider in Buffalo, New York. Press began researching the book in 1998 after his father’s colleague, Dr. Barnett Slepian, was murdered by an anti-abortion extremist. Read the review.Labels: abortion bans, South Dakota, state legislation
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Pro-Choice Activists Fight Back
Pro-choice activists in South Dakota kicked off a campaign today to overturn the state’s abortion ban. Read the Reuters story. NPR has a story about how bills expanding access to emergency contraception are faring in state legislatures. Listen to the report. Anti-choice Alabama legislators have introduced two bills that would ban almost all abortions in the state. Fortunately, the Alabama legislative session is nearing a close and the bills are likely to die in committee. Read the local story. Labels: abortion bans, access, Alabama, anti-choice, South Dakota, state legislation
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Idaho, Africa, and Mississippi
The Idaho legislature is considering a bill that would require teens to have parental consent before obtaining an abortion. Read the local story. Today is day three of a four day conference in Ethiopia about unsafe abortion in Africa. Read the news on allafrica.com. The Mississippi legislature is considering an abortion ban bill. Read about it. Labels: abortion bans, Africa, parental involvement, safety, state legislation
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NAF was quoted in a story about a Washington state bill that would protect providers from losing their insurance after a violent attack. Read the Labels: state legislation, violence
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Anti-Choice Search Engine?
The FDA has issued a public health advisory about mifepristone. Read the advisory here. Is amazon.com’s search engine anti-choice? Pro-choice activists complained after readers who searched the word abortion were asked, “Did you mean adoption?” Read the New York Times story. Salon.com has an in-depth story about how anti-choice advocates want to ban contraception. Labels: abortion bans, anti-choice, medical abortion
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A New Head of the FDA? But What About Plan B?
President Bush has nominated Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach to head the Food and Drug Administration, but pro-choice senators have vowed not to confirm him until the FDA issues its long awaited decision on whether to allow over-the-counter sales of Plan B, an emergency contraceptive. Read the New York Times story. The Indianapolis Star has a story about how pro-choice religious leaders are speaking out against anti-choice legislation in Indiana. Labels: anti-choice, Contraception, Plan B
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Victory in Indiana
An Indiana bill that would have defined life at conception failed in the legislature yesterday. The bill also would have required providers to give women biased counseling before they could have an abortion. Mississippi is following South Dakota’s lead. The state legislature is poised to pass an abortion ban. Retired Supreme Court Justice gave a speech last Thursday decrying conservative attacks on the federal judiciary. Listen to the NPR story. Read Slate.com’s take on O’Connor’s speech. Statistics Canada released their latest version of statistics about induced abortion in Canada. Read their press release. Labels: abortion bans, state legislation
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Life before Roe
In the West Virginia Charleston Gazette, a minister recalls life before Roe v. Wade. Labels: illegal, Roe v. Wade
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Possible Consequences of the South Dakota Abortion Ban
NAF was part of a story in the Toronto Star about the South Dakota abortion ban. The New York Times has an editorial commenting on the unconstitutionality of the South Dakota abortion ban. Eyal Press has an op-ed in the New York Times that talks about low-income women’s lack of access to abortion services. Press’ father is an abortion provider in Buffalo, New York, and Press recently published his memoir, Absolute Convictions: My Father, a City and the Conflict That Divided America.Labels: abortion bans, access, South Dakota, state legislation
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Eyal Press' Memoir
Eyal Press, whose father is an abortion provider in Buffalo New York, has written a memoir about his hometown. Press’ father worked with Dr. Bernard Slepian, an abortion provider who was murdered by an anti-abortion extremist in 1998. Read the Salon.com and NPR reviews of Press’ book.
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South Dakota: Still Front Page News
Today NAF was part of an Associated Press story on the South Dakota abortion ban. The Argus Leader reports that South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds is trying to distance himself from the abortion ban, which he signed into law yesterday. According to this second Associated Press story, Governor Rounds also says that if the abortion ban is put on the ballot this fall, he will not take a position on it. Read columnist Molly Ivin’s take on the South Dakota ban. Reuters reports that many women in Mexico who become pregnant through sexual assault are denied abortions, even though it is legal for rape survivors to terminate an unintended pregnancy. Labels: abortion bans, ballot initiatives, Mexico, South Dakota, state legislation
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Yesterday, the South Dakota governor signed into law a blatantly unconstitutional bill that would ban almost all abortions in the state. We expect this law to be challenged and then immediately enjoined. We issued a press release yesterday condemning the ban. Read the Associated Press article. Read the CNN article. Here’s the local story from the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. USA Today is reporting that the South Dakota ban is causing rifts among the anti-choice community. Labels: abortion bans, anti-choice, South Dakota, state legislation
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William Saletan has a column in Sunday’s Washington Post that discusses the future of the pro-choice movement and Roe v. Wade.Labels: Roe v. Wade
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Abortion Bans, Anti-Choice Urban Planning, and Judicial Thank-You Notes
Mississippi: Following in South Dakota's FootstepsNow that the South Dakota legislature has passed a widespread abortion ban, other states want to get in on the action. Not to be outdone, Mississippi is also about to pass a sweeping abortion ban that would outlaw most abortions in the state. The Newest Assault on Choice: Urban PlanningCNN is reporting that Domino’s Pizza founder, Thomas S. Monaghan, wants to build a town in Florida that would run on what he sees as Roman Catholic principles. Not only would it be impossible to obtain an abortion in the town, called Ave Maria, but pharmacies would not be allowed to provide birth control pills or condoms. The ACLU is already looking into the legality of Monahan’s proposed urban-planning policies. Alito Thanks Focus on the FamilyWhy did Justice Alito write a thank-you note to anti-choice organization Focus on the Family? James Dobson, the organization’s president, read part of Alito’s thank-you note on his radio broadcast. The Supreme Court Justice wrote that ''the prayers of so many people from around the country were a palpable and powerful force. As long as I serve on the Supreme Court, I will keep in mind the trust that has been placed in me.” Both Alito and Dobson claim that the note is harmless but groups fighting for the separation of church and state disagree. Labels: abortion bans, anti-choice
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South Dakota Boycott
Alternet, an online news site, has posted about a drive to boycott South Dakota in protest of its restrictive abortion ban. The Women's Medical Fund in Madison, Wisconsin started the boycott, which they call the “Bypass South Dakota” movement. Marcy Bloom, the director of Aradia Women’s Health in Seattle, wrote a moving and thoughtful post about the boycott and South Dakota’s fierce hostility to reproductive freedom. Labels: abortion bans, South Dakota
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NOW v. Scheidler is no Anti-Choice Victory
Yesterday the Supreme Court issued a ruling in Now v. Scheidler, a case that sought to use federal racketeering laws to protect clinics from violent, harassing anti-choice protestors. While the Court ruled against using the Hobbs Act to protect clinics, abortion providers remain protected under the Freedom of Access to Clinics Entrances (FACE) Act, which Congress passed in 1994. As I said in a news release we issued earlier today, this ruling absolutely should not be interpreted as a victory for anti-choice extremists. The FACE Act is one of the most important pieces of legislation Congress has ever passed regarding clinic safety. The Scheidler lawsuit was initiated in 1986, before clinics had federal protections from violent protestors. At that time, clinics were under siege from blockades and women were forcibly blocked from clinic entrances by anti-choice protesters. The FACE act made it illegal to use “force or threat of force” to stop women from accessing safe, necessary health care. Find out more about the FACE Act and how it’s helped keep NAF members safe. In other news, the New York State Legislature is considering a law that would make it easier for women to obtain emergency contraception (EC). The bill would allow pharmacists to write prescriptions for EC, so women could obtain the medication without having to visit their doctor. Because EC is most effective if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, it is essential that women can access it as quickly as possible. Labels: access, anti-choice, FACE act, state legislation, violence
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