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
Series Examines Laws Targeting Abortion Providers
This month, RH Reality Check is featuring a series on Targeted Regulation of Abortion Provider (TRAP) Laws, which single out abortion clinics for unnecessary, politically motivated, restrictive regulations. The series examines how abortion opponents use legislation to restrict women’s access to safe, legal abortion care. “The anti's strategy has been to allow abortion to remain legal, but to make it
unavailable,” says Bonnie Scott Jones, Deputy Director of Domestic Programs
at the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights. “Their goal is to make
abortion so difficult to obtain it's not really an option. They've also worked
to make it more difficult to be an abortion provider than any other kind of
doctor. TRAP laws work as a disincentive to becoming part of, or remaining in,
the abortion field.” >Learn more about TRAP Laws.Labels: access, TRAP bills
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Virginia Senate Takes Action on Abortion Measures
The Education and Health Committee of the Virginia Senate rejected a handful of anti-choice measures today. Several of the bills were examples of Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws, which single out abortion providers for medically unnecessary, politically motivated regulations. Opponents said the bills would make abortions more expensive and less accessible. These defeats come just one day after the Virginia Senate voted to stop state funding for Planned Parenthood of Virginia because it offers abortion care. After the vote, Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax) warned that the Senate was setting a bad precedent of singling out organizations because of ideological differences, according to The Washington Post. > Learn more about TRAP laws.Labels: access, anti-choice, state legislation, TRAP bills
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Virginia City Council Passes Resolution to Target Abortion Provider
On Tuesday, the Manassas, Va., City Council passed a resolution that would create a committee to study what regulations and guidelines abortion clinics in the city operate under and to determine if stricter guidelines are needed. The resolution’s author incorrectly claims there are no health and safety requirements for the city’s one abortion provider, NAF member Amethyst Health Center for Women. However, the Amethyst Health Center adheres to federal standards, professional conduct requirements of the state's Board of Medicine and the Department of Health Professionals, and NAF’s Clinical Policy Guidelines, which set the highest standards for quality abortion care. This resolution is an example of a Targeted Regulation of Abortion Provider (TRAP) bill, which singles out abortion clinics for unnecessary, politically motivated, restrictive regulations. "Regulations such as these are calculated to chip away at abortion access under the guise of legitimate regulation," said Jennifer Blasdell, NAF’s director of public policy in today’s Washington Post.Labels: access, TRAP bills
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Temporary Injunction Issued in Missouri
A federal judge issued a temporary injunction Monday to stop the enforcement of a Missouri law, which would impose new regulations on abortion providers. The new law would require any facility that performs more than five first-trimester abortions a month, or any second- or third-trimester abortions, to meet the licensure requirements for an “ambulatory surgical center.” Planned Parenthood will have 30 days to tell the health department what regulations it wants waived. The health department must then respond within 30 days. If the two groups cannot reach agreement, they must return to court. U.S. District Judge Ortrie Smith said that if the state health department insisted upon the most stringent interpretation possible, the renovations required of some abortion clinics could prove so costly they could infringe on the right to an abortion. >Learn more about Targeted Regulation of Abortion Provider (TRAP) laws, which single out abortion clinics for unnecessary, politically motivated, restrictive regulations. Labels: access, state legislation, TRAP bills
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Clinic Files Federal Lawsuit over Missouri Law
Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri has filed a federal lawsuit claiming a new Missouri law infringes on a constitutional right to abortion. They say the law could eliminate abortion services in large parts of the state by subjecting clinics to special regulations. The new law would require any facility that performs more than five first-trimester abortions a month, or any second- or third-trimester abortions, to meet the licensure requirements for an “ambulatory surgical center.” According to Planned Parenthood CEO Peter Brownlie, “This onerous legislation has nothing to do with protecting women's health and safety…and is a blatant attempt to close down clinics and deny women their right to health care.” This type of legislation is an example of a Targeted Regulation of Abortion Provider (TRAP) bill. These bills subject abortion clinics to stringent regulations, which are inappropriate and unnecessary for outpatient facilities. TRAP bills are often introduced by abortion opponents who claim that abortion is an unsafe and unregulated procedure. In fact, abortion is one of the safest medical procedures provided in the United States and Canada. By implying that abortion clinics are uniquely dangerous and in need of special regulation, such bills recklessly promote an unfounded fear of abortion and their passage can result in clinics being closed to women seeking reproductive health care. This is clearly the case in Missouri where Sen. Delbert Scott, a lead sponsor of the legislation, acknowledged: “Certainly, abortion is our target here.” >Learn more about TRAP laws.Labels: access, Kansas, TRAP bills
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Good News to Start the Weekend: Virginia Kills TRAP Bill
Here’s some good news from Virginia to start your weekend: The Virginia Legislature killed a Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) bill in committee yesterday. The bill would have required abortion providers to follow a series of politically motivated regulations that could have forced some of the state’s clinics to close. But Senators on the Senate Education and Health Committee recognized the harmful effects of this unnecessary legislation and voted it down 9-6. As you know, Virginia wasn’t the only state that considered anti-choice legislation this week; South Dakota and Indiana legislatures also took up anti-choice bills. To find out how NAF took action around these pieces of legislation and to sign up on our Action Alert list, visit our Action For Choice Center. If you want to find out more about abortion-related legislation in the states you can download our most recent report, Reproductive Choice in the States 2005. The report details some of the most common anti-choice and pro-choice legislation that moved through state legislatures in 2005 including biased counseling bills, abortion bans, and TRAP legislation. Have an excellent weekend and don’t forget to check back on Monday for the latest pro-choice news. Labels: abortion bans, access, anti-choice, state legislation, TRAP bills
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Mifepristone in Australia and TRAP in Indiana
Australia moved one step closer to approving mifepristone today, as the Australian parliament, after a long and emotional debate, voted to remove the Australian Health Minister's power to veto the drug. Mifepristone may be available for use in Australia in the coming months.
The Indiana based Lafayette Journal and Courier denounced the state's proposed TRAP legislation, which they call a "back-door ban on abortions." Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) bills are one of the most common ways that states try to decrease access to abortion. These bills single out clinics and force them to submit to politically motivated, unnecessary regulations that sometimes can force a clinic to close. Labels: abortion bans, access, medical abortion, state legislation, TRAP bills
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