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
Newsweek Examines Anti-Choice Legislative Strategy
Yesterday, Newsweek.com featured an article about the efforts of abortion opponents to put “personhood” initiatives on ballots across the country. Led by the new anti-choice organization Personhood USA, these initiatives aim to revise state constitutions to define a fertilized egg as a person. Seven state-level groups are currently gathering signatures for 2010 ballots. A similar amendment was strongly defeated by Colorado voters in 2008.Labels: ballot initiatives, state legislation
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Judge to Hear Arguments in Case Challenging Oklahoma Ultrasound Law
This week, an Oklahoma County judge heard oral arguments in a legal challenge to a 2008 state law requiring women to undergo an ultrasound one hour prior to obtaining abortion care. The law also stipulates that women must listen to an explanation from the medical professional performing the ultrasound about what the image shows. In October, a temporary injunction was issued to prevent the law from going into effect on November 1. The injunction will remain in effect until the case is settled.
The injunction was filed by Nova Health Systems, the parent group of NAF member Reproductive Services of Tulsa, on grounds that the law violates a woman’s right to privacy by forcing her to listen to unwelcome, government dictated language in a private setting.
"It is both an affront to the woman's decision-making power and to her dignity," said Stephanie Toti, an attorney representing Reproductive Services.
This law, originally passed by the Oklahoma legislature in April 2008, is the only ultrasound law in the country that requires the image to be presented to a woman, even if she does not want to look at it. It is another intrusion by lawmakers into the doctor-patient relationship.
>Learn more about abortion rights in the states. Labels: state legislation, ultrasound laws
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Guest Column by NAF Board Member
NAF Board Member Caitlin Borgmann, JD, is a featured guest columnist on the legal news and research site JURIST.Borgmann writes that parental notification “laws like the one that will now be enforced in Illinois do nothing to help teenagers, while imposing traumatic hurdles, and sometimes grave danger, on those who lack loving and supportive parents to whom they can turn.” While parents rightly want to be involved in the decisions of their teenage daughters, good family communication cannot be legislated. “Most states recognize that mandating parental involvement for sensitive medical treatment will have the hazardous drawback of deterring many minors from seeking care at all….Minors in most states can consent to services such as contraception, prenatal care, and treatment for sexually transmitted infection. In many states, minors can even relinquish their children for adoption and consent to medical care for their children. Parental involvement laws for abortion stand out as the glaring antithesis to this trend,” writes Borgmann. >Read the full column here.Labels: Illinois, parental involvement, state legislation, women
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Ohio Bill Would Require Consent From Men Before Abortion
This month, an Ohio state legislator introduced a bill, which would require written consent from a woman’s partner or the man involved with the pregnancy in order for her to obtain abortion care. If the man is unknown, this bill would force a woman to submit a list of possibilities, and her doctor would have to conduct paternity tests—at the woman’s expense—and then seek the man's permission prior to providing abortion care. In cases of rape or incest, proof via a court document, police report, or indictment would be required.
This bill would place substantial obstacles in the path of a woman attempting to access abortion care and is unconstitutional. The Supreme Court has ruled that abortion restrictions must not place an "undue burden" on women seeking abortion care.
The bill’s sponsor, Republican John Adams, introduced similar legislation which died in committee in 2007.
Labels: access, Ohio, state legislation, women
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When I hear that the US justice system is taking steps to make abortion less accessible I become outraged. I don't see how religious or personal beliefs against the procedure are justified in taking the right away. I do not advocate that abortion should become another form of birth control. But, when we are discussing such extreme cases as this article does, a woman should have the right to have a safe, legal abortion if she chooses. Personal beliefs are meant to govern personal actions, not monitor the behavior of everyone in a nation.
-Politics.com intern
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U.S. Appeals Court Upholds Illinois Parental Notification Law
A U.S. Appeals Court ruled last week that an Illinois law requiring doctors to notify a parent or adult family member at least 48 hours prior to a minor obtaining abortion care is constitutional. The three-judge panel found that state Supreme Court rules, which establish judicial procedures for an expedited bypass hearing, satisfy minors’ constitutional rights to the procedure. However, the appeals panel said it recognized that there may be “practical problems” with the judicial bypass process. “It may be intimidating for a minor to navigate the process of presenting her case to a judge, for instance,” U.S. Circuit Judge Richard Cudahy wrote for the court. For a pregnant teen to use judicial bypass, she must not only find a judge, she must work her way through a confusing legal system and face intense and sometimes judgmental questioning. Judicial bypass can be an intimidating process that can cause delays in care, and put a young woman’s health at risk. “This decision…creates unnecessary, dangerous hurdles to accessing essential health care for young women,” said Lorie Chaiten, director of the Reproductive Rights Project of the Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. >Learn about parental involvement bills in the states.Labels: parental involvement, state legislation
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Arizona Governor Approves Abortion Restrictions
On Monday, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) approved a measure establishing new mandates and restrictions on abortion in the state. One of the provisions requires that all women wait 24 hours after receiving state-mandated information to obtain abortion care. This type of biased counseling legislation is medically unnecessary and does not respect women. Abortion providers already provide women with the accurate medical information they need to make fully informed decisions.
The bill also toughens an existing parental consent law to now require minors to obtain written, notarized consent from a parent or guardian before obtaining abortion care, and allows for pharmacists and other health care professionals to refuse to distribute emergency contraception on moral or religious grounds.
Governor Brewer’s actions are in stark contrast to those of her predecessor, former Governor Janet Napolitano (D), who vetoed all legislation that would have restricted abortion during her six-year tenure as governor. Napolitano was appointed U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security in January.
>Learn more about abortion rights in the states.
Labels: parental involvement, state legislation
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U.S. Appeals Court Upholds Virginia Abortion Ban
Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld a Virginia abortion ban by a vote of 6-5. The decision reversed a 2-1 panel ruling in May 2008 that struck down the law on grounds that it would impose an “undue burden” on a woman’s right to obtain abortion care. The 2008 ruling affirmed the same court’s 2005 decision to strike down the abortion ban, a ruling that prevented Virginia’s law from taking effect. However, in 2007 the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a federal abortion ban and ordered the appeals court to reexamine the Virginia ruling. Like the federal law, Virginia’s act prohibits certain abortion procedures after the first trimester and lacks an exception to protect women’s health. In his dissenting opinion to the Wednesday decision, Judge M. Blane Michael emphasized that the Virginia law could also impose criminal liability on doctors who seek to perform legal abortions. "This result places an undue burden on a woman's right to obtain a pre-viability second trimester abortion -- a constitutional right repeatedly reaffirmed by the Supreme Court," he wrote.>Learn more about abortion rights in the states.>Learn more about the federal abortion ban.Labels: Federal Abortion Ban, state legislation
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Anti-Choice Legislation Progresses in Kansas; Utah Votes to Improve Access to Emergency Contraception
This week, state legislatures advanced legislation both helpful and harmful to women’s reproductive health. On Wednesday, the Kansas House of Representatives passed a bill requiring providers to report to the state on medical diagnoses for particular abortion procedures. In addition, this bill inserts politics into the doctor-patient relationship by requiring that doctors inform certain patients that the procedure will terminate a “whole, separate, unique, living human being.” On Monday, the Utah House of Representatives approved legislation requiring medical facilities to provide sexual assault victims with information about emergency contraception. If passed, this bill would require doctors to give victims scientifically accurate verbal and written information about emergency contraception, as well as inform victims of where to go to for appropriate treatment if it is not available at their facility. >Learn more about abortion rights in the states.Labels: Kansas, state legislation
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State Policymakers Continue to Attack Abortion Access
Lawmakers in multiple states continue to propose legislation attempting to restrict abortion access. Earlier this week in South Carolina, a bill requiring that all women wait 24 hours after an ultrasound is provided to receive abortion care was approved by a House committee and sent to the full House of Representatives. Current law already requires women to wait one hour after the ultrasound examination. Legislators in South Dakota have drafted a bill requiring that all providers meet with patients 24 hours prior to any scheduled appointment. Last November, South Dakota voters overwhelmingly defeated the most restrictive abortion ban in the nation by a margin of 55% to 45%. Anti-choice legislation failed this week in Wyoming, however, where a bill requiring providers to offer patients the option of an ultrasound before providing abortion care failed in committee. Thanks in part to the strong testimony of Rep. Sue Wallis, the legislation was rejected by a vote of 6-3. "To have the state impose this obligation on them to go through with this unnecessary procedure is an insult to me as a woman, and an insult to me as a United States citizen," Wallis said. This week, pro-choice advocates in Richmond, VA took proactive steps to oppose anti-choice legislation by joining together with activists from all over the state to urge legislators to protect and expand reproductive rights. Organized by the Virginia Pro-Choice Coalition and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, Pro-Choice Lobby Day drew hundreds of supporters, and two anti-choice bills were defeated by legislative committees. Labels: South Dakota, state legislation, ultrasound laws
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S.C. Bill Would Require Women Seeking Abortion Care to be Given List of Nearby CPCs
Seven South Carolina House Representatives have prefiled a bill that would require women seeking abortion care to be given a list of nearby CPCs and other facilities that provide free ultrasounds. This bill expands upon the law passed in 2008 that requires women seeking an abortion to be given the option of viewing an ultrasound image prior to receiving care. “This is just another attempt by Republicans to chink away at women’s rights in this state,” said Rep. Todd Rutherford (D-Columbia). “We have a Senate that has no women and a House with very few women and we want to tell a woman what to do with her body.” Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) exist to dissuade women from having abortions, and often use false information to mislead women. South Carolina is already home to some of the most stringent abortion restrictions in the country, including parental consent for minors, state-mandated biased counseling and waiting periods, and required ultrasounds. >Learn more about abortion rights in the states.>Learn more about Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs).Labels: access, crisis pregnancy center (CPC), state legislation
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Temporary Injunction Delays Oklahoma Ultrasound Law
A temporary injunction, issued October 29, has prevented Oklahoma ultrasound legislation from taking effect this month. In April, the Oklahoma legislature passed the country’s most restrictive ultrasound law, which requires women to undergo an ultrasound one hour prior to obtaining abortion care and listen to an explanation from the medical professional performing the ultrasound while the image is displayed where she can see it. The injunction was filed by Nova Health Systems, the parent group of NAF member Reproductive Services of Tulsa, on grounds that the law violates a woman’s right to privacy by forcing her to listen to unwelcome, government dictated language in a private setting. Ultrasound legislation is manipulative to women and violates the doctor-patient relationship. This year, 18 states introduced ultrasound legislation with bills passing in one or both chambers in Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Virginia. >Learn more about abortion rights in the states.Labels: Kansas, South Dakota, state legislation, ultrasound laws
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California Voters Reject Proposition 4
Parental notification laws like Proposition 4 endanger the health and safety of teens. Today, California voters once again rejected this type of dangerous barrier for teens attempting to access abortion care. While parents rightly want to be involved in the decisions of their teenage daughters, good family communication cannot be legislated. California already leads the nation in the rate of parental communication about issues concerning sexual activity, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. However, involving a parent is not a realistic option for many young women seeking to terminate a pregnancy, and some young women may delay seeking care or even resort to dangerous alternatives if forced to involve a parent in their decision. That is why many professional groups in California, including the California Medical Association and the California Nurses Association, opposed this harmful proposition. This is the third time California voters have rejected a parental notification provision. Two similar measures were defeated in 2005 and 2006, by margins of 52.6 percent to 47.4 percent, and 54.2 percent to 45.8 percent, respectively. Labels: ballot initiatives, California, parental involvement, state legislation
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South Dakota Voters Reject the Nation’s Most Restrictive Abortion Ban
This ban would have threatened the lives and health of South Dakota women, and potentially set a dangerous precedent for our country. Today’s vote is a victory not only for women in South Dakota, but for women throughout the nation. This is the second time South Dakota voters have protected a woman’s right to access abortion care by defeating an abortion ban. In 2006, the South Dakota legislature passed an abortion ban, which Governor Mike Rounds signed into law. Citizens in South Dakota banded together in opposition to the legislation, and gathered enough signatures to defer implementation of the ban pending a statewide referendum. That year, South Dakota voters rejected the abortion ban by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent. Although abortion opponents proposed another abortion ban this year, the citizens of South Dakota have again voted not to outlaw abortion. The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families, the organization originally created to fight the abortion ban in 2006, once again played an integral part in the ban’s defeat. NAF also sent staff to South Dakota to help campaign against this dangerous initiative. Labels: abortion bans, ballot initiatives, South Dakota, state legislation
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Colorado Voters Reject Amendment Defining a Fertilized Egg as a Person
Washington, DC—Today, Colorado voters rejected Amendment 48, which would have redefined "person" in the state constitution and granted constitutional rights from the moment of conception. “This amendment was nothing more than an attempt to outlaw all abortions in Colorado,” said Vicki Saporta, National Abortion Federation (NAF) President and CEO. The so-called “Definition of Person” Amendment would have eliminated a woman’s right to make private health care decisions. In addition to outlawing abortion, the amendment was so far-reaching that it could have banned commonly used birth control methods like the pill, IUDs, and emergency contraception. Women suffering from illnesses such as cancer could have even been refused life-saving medical treatment because of the risks it might pose to a fertilized egg. Leading lawyers, doctors, and even Colorado Governor Bill Ritter opposed this amendment. The Executive Board of the Colorado Gynecological-Obstetrical Society voted unanimously to oppose this ballot initiative citing that the “moment of fertilization is not a medical definition of pregnancy and as such represents inappropriate intrusion into the practice of medicine.” “Amendment 48 was another attempt by abortion opponents to substitute political ideology for scientific evidence and the citizens of Colorado did not let them succeed,” said Saporta. Labels: ballot initiatives, state legislation
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California Parental Involvement Measure Attacks Legalized Abortion
Monday’s LA Times ran an editorial exposing a California parental involvement measure for its attempts to create more obstacles for women attempting to access abortion care. This is the third time such a measure has been placed on the ballot after attempts in 2005 and 2006 were defeated. Labels: California, parental involvement, state legislation
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Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Legislation Protecting Providers and Patients from Violence
This past Friday, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 1770 to extend the state’s Reproductive Rights Law Enforcement Act by five years. Originally passed in 2006, the Reproductive Rights Law Enforcement Act requires the state to collect and analyze information on anti-reproductive rights crimes. There have been several cited cases of violence against clinicians and patients in California, including this year’s attempted arson of an abortion clinic in Northern California. SB 1770 provides law enforcement with essential tools in the fight to keep California providers and patients safe from anti-abortion violence and harassment. Learn more about state clinic protection bills.Labels: ballot initiatives, California, safety, state legislation
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Arizona Senate Rejects Bill Preventing Nurses from Providing Abortion Care
Yesterday, the Arizona Senate defeated a House-passed bill preventing advanced practice nurses from providing abortion care. This bill would have contradicted last month’s decision by the Arizona Board of Nursing that it is within the scope of practice of appropriately trained advanced practice nurses in the state to provide early aspiration abortion care. A nurse's scope of practice is determined by the state Board of Nursing based upon specified guidelines established in the Nurse Practice Act for that state. Professional boards are charged with making these types of scope of practice decisions due to their extensive knowledge of the profession, and their judgments should be respected. >Learn more about the role of advanced practice clinicians in abortion care.Labels: advanced practice clinicians, ballot initiatives, state legislation
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Article Examines Ultrasound Laws
An article published yesterday by Stateline.org takes a comprehensive look at the nation’s ultrasound laws. This year legislation mandating ultrasound provision was introduced in 18 states. In April, Oklahoma passed the most restrictive law, which requires a woman to undergo an ultrasound one hour prior to obtaining abortion care and listen to an explanation from the medical professional performing the ultrasound while the image is displayed so that she can see it. This type of legislation unfairly manipulates women and violates the integrity of the doctor-patient relationship. > Learn more about abortion rights in the states.Labels: state legislation, ultrasound laws
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Michigan Governor Plans to Veto Proposed Abortion Ban
Today, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm stated that she would veto a bill headed to her office, which bans certain types of abortions without an exception for a woman’s health. The bill was passed today by the Senate, and resembles a federal ban upheld by the Supreme Court last year. There have been three previous attempts in the state to outlaw the procedures covered in the bill, but all have been declared unconstitutional by federal courts. Labels: abortion bans, Michigan, state legislation
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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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Massachusetts Attorney General Speaks out in Support of Buffer Zone Law
This week Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley spoke out in support of a recently passed law, which expanded the buffer zone around reproductive health care facilities to 35 feet. Coakley filed a brief in federal court responding to a lawsuit brought forth last month by anti-abortion protesters challenging the law. The "act does not ban any expressive activity, but instead 'merely regulates the places where communications may occur' during clinic business hours," Coakley wrote in the brief.Coakley, along with Boston Police Captain Bill Evans, testified in support of this act before the Legislature last year. >Learn more about buffer zone legislation.Labels: buffer zone laws, Massachusetts, state legislation
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New Hampshire Senate Hears Counseling Bill
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Last week, the New Mexico House of Representatives passed a unanimous resolution commending federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies on their collaboration, investigation, and quick response in arresting two suspects in connection with arsons and vandalism at abortion and reproductive health clinics in Albuquerque in December 2007. An identical resolution has also been introduced in the state Senate. We commend the New Mexico legislature for recognizing law enforcement's swift and successful investigation into the arsons and vandalism and apprehending and arresting the suspects. Law enforcement's response should send a clear message that violence against abortion providers and clinics will not be tolerated and that perpetrators of such crimes will be apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Labels: Mexico, state legislation
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Celebrating 35 Years of Safe, Legal Abortion Care
Today marks the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion care in the United States. On this historic anniversary, it is important that we celebrate what we have achieved under the legacy of Roe while also assessing the challenges that lie ahead. Roe has undoubtedly saved the lives and protected the health of countless women. As we mark this milestone of 35 years of safe, legal abortion care, we must remain vigilant in preserving this freedom so that we never have to return to the days of back-alley abortions when women had to sacrifice their lives and health to end an unwanted pregnancy. In the 35 years since Roe, many new reproductive health care options have become available to women. These include a variety of safe and effective contraceptive methods, emergency contraception, early medical abortion using mifepristone (RU-486), and safe surgical abortion. Despite these advances in reproductive health care, a woman's fundamental right to make her own reproductive health care decisions continues to be eroded by politicians and the courts. Women deserve to have access to safe abortion care, free from the interference of politicians. Legislative attacks on Roe and a woman's right to choose are all too common in state legislatures. In 2007 alone, more than 450 anti-choice bills were filed in states across the country. Although the vast majority of these bills were not enacted, several states passed extreme legislation that would ban all safe abortion procedures at all stages of pregnancy if Roe were overturned. It is critical to the lives and health of millions of women that the protections of Roe not be further weakened. NAF will continue to work to ensure that abortion remains safe, legal, and accessible to promote health and justice for women. Labels: abortion bans, access, anti-choice, medical abortion, Roe v. Wade, state legislation
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Massachusetts Governor Signs Buffer Zone Law
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed a law Tuesday expanding the buffer zone around reproductive health care facilities to 35 feet. In 2000, the state passed a law, which designated a "floating" zone of 6 feet, within a larger radius of 18 feet, inside which no one may approach a patient entering a clinic without her consent. However, the vague consent language made it difficult to enforce the law. Officials, including Attorney General Martha Coakley and Boston Police Captain Bill Evans, testified in support of this legislation. Patrick said the legislation strikes the right balance between freedom of choice and freedom of speech.Massachusetts now has one of the strongest buffer zone laws in the nation. >Learn more about clinic protection bills.Labels: buffer zone laws, Massachusetts, state legislation
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Editorial Supports Massachusetts Buffer Zone
The Boston Globe ran an editorial in support of proposed state legislation that would create a fixed 35-foot buffer zone around reproductive health care clinic entrances. The bill would also eliminate the vague consent language present in the current law, which creates a "floating" zone of 6 feet, within a larger radius of 18 feet, inside which no one may approach a patient entering a clinic without her consent. However, the debate over what constitutes consent has made the law difficult to enforce. For this reason, Boston police district Captain William Evans testified in favor of the new bill. Last week the Massachusetts Senate passed this bill, and this week it was approved in the House as well. The Boston Globe said “the bill protects public safety, medical privacy, and free speech.” Labels: buffer zone laws, Massachusetts, state legislation
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Massachusetts Senate Passes Expanded Buffer Zone Bill
The Massachusetts Senate passed a bill yesterday which would establish a 35-foot no-protest zone around reproductive health care clinics beginning where clinic property ends. Currently, the state has an 18-foot buffer zone, but anti-abortion protesters continue to harass and intimidate patients. In some cases, protesters have even dressed as police officers and deceived patients. NAF knows from experience that creating or expanding buffer zones around health care facilities can lead to a decrease in violence and harassment, thereby ensuring the safety of patients and staff. "Women in the Commonwealth have the right to medical care free of violence, harassment, or intimidation," Governor Deval Patrick said in a statement. "The Senate's decision today to widen the buffer zone around reproductive clinics will protect patients from the abuse that so many have encountered as they seek care." The legislation now heads to the Massachusetts House where it has the support of the Speaker and nearly half of the state representatives. Labels: buffer zone laws, Massachusetts, state legislation
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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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Court Dismisses Kansas "Kiss and Tell" Case
This week, the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit dismissed the government’s appeals in the case concerning the Kansas "kiss and tell" policy. The policy would have required health care providers and counselors to report all sexual activity by teenagers under 16, including kissing between two teens, to state authorities as evidence of child abuse. A group of health care and counseling professionals represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights filed the case challenging the policy and succeeded in permanently blocking it in 2006. The case, Aid for Women v. Foulston, was dismissed this week because the Kansas state legislature recently revised the state’s child abuse reporting law in a way that makes clear that the law does not require blanket reporting of all adolescent sexual contact. Labels: Kansas, state legislation
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New Hampshire Law Makers Seek to Reinstate Parental Notification Law
In New Hampshire, two legislators are drafting bills that would restore the state’s parental notification law. This summer New Hampshire was the first state to repeal its parental notification law. The legislators said their bills would enact a slightly different version of the law that was repealed. The repealed law never took effect because of a successful challenge by Planned Parenthood of Northern New England that was argued in U.S. Supreme Court. > Learn more about how parental involvement laws affect women.Labels: New Hampshire, parental involvement, state legislation
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Expanded Buffer Zones Needed in Massachusetts
Dianne Williamson’s column in Sunday’s Worcester Telegram & Gazette demonstrates the need for an expanded buffer zone around reproductive health care facilities in Massachusetts. Under the current law, there is an 18-foot buffer zone around reproductive heath care facilities, but protesters may be within the buffer zone as long as they remain at least six feet away from clinic workers and patients. A bill in the state House of Representatives would prevent anti-abortion opponents from coming within 35 feet of clinic entrances. As Williamson observes outside a local clinic, the current buffer zone law does not protect patients from intimidation. She recounts watching protesters yell and harass patients – even causing one woman to cry as she leaves the parking lot and enters the clinic. One protester in particular appears outside the clinic in a Grim Reaper costume, and ironically refuses to divulge his real name because he doesn’t “want to be harassed.” Unfortunately, the patients who have to walk past this masked anti-abortion extremist are not as lucky. We know from the experience in Massachusetts and other areas of the country that creating or expanding buffer zones around health care facilities can lead to a decrease in violence and harassment, thereby ensuring the safety of patients and staff. Labels: buffer zone laws, Massachusetts, state legislation
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New Hampshire Repeals Parental Notification Law
New Hampshire Governor John Lynch signed legislation Friday repealing the state’s parental notification law. The law, which would have required doctors to notify parents at least 48 hours before a minor obtains an abortion, was passed in 2003, but never took effect due to legal challenges reaching all the way to the Supreme Court in Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. Parental involvement bills threaten the health of young women, and restrictive abortion laws may worsen family communication rather than promote it. “The Supreme Court found this law unconstitutional because it fails to protect the health and safety of all women, which is why I am signing its repeal," Gov. Lynch said. Labels: New Hampshire, parental involvement, state legislation
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New Hampshire Senate Votes to Repeal Parental Notification Law
Last week, the New Hampshire Senate voted to repeal the state’s parental notification law by a 15 to 9 vote. The law, which would have required doctors to notify parents at least 48 hours before a minor obtains an abortion, was defeated in the House in March. Governor John Lynch has said he will sign the bill, making New Hampshire the first state to repeal a parental notification law. The law was passed in 2003, but never took effect due to legal challenges reaching all the way to the Supreme Court in Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. In January 2006, the Supreme Court sent the case back to the lower court to determine if the state legislature would have passed the law with a health exception. > Learn more about how parental involvement laws affect women.Labels: New Hampshire, parental involvement, state legislation
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Georgia House Passes Ultrasound Bill
Monday the Georgia House of Representatives approved a bill, which would require doctors to offer women seeking abortion care the option to view an ultrasound image of the fetus prior to the procedure. The measure would also require women to certify in writing that they were given the opportunity to view the ultrasound image, and document whether they opted to do so. During debate in the House, legislators discussed even more intrusive measures, including mandating an ultrasound for all women or requiring a woman to have 15 minutes of reflection time before an abortion. While Georgia lawmakers were able to compromise on the language, this measure still interferes with the doctor-patient relationship. The bill heads to the Senate where a more restrictive ultrasound measure was passed last year.Labels: state legislation, ultrasound laws
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New Hampshire House Votes to Repeal Parental Notification Law
Yesterday morning the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted to repeal the state’s parental notification law by a 226-130 vote. The mandate, which would have required doctors to notify parents at least 48 hours before a minor obtains an abortion, passed in 2003 by six votes in the state House and by one vote in the state Senate, but never took effect due to legal challenges reaching all the way to the Supreme Court in Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.
In January 2006 the Court issued its ruling in Ayotte, and unanimously recognized and upheld its own precedent that abortion laws must protect women's health and well-being. The Supreme Court sent the case back to the lower court to determine if the state legislature would have passed the law with a health exception. If not, the Court agreed that the law should be struck down. Supporters of the parental notification law introduced two amendments intended to salvage the law by adding an exception to protect the mother’s health, but both were defeated.Labels: New Hampshire, parental involvement, state legislation
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South Dakota Senate Rejects Three Abortion Measures
While the South Dakota House of Representatives passed a dangerous abortion ban yesterday, state senate committees defeated three bills aimed at restricting abortion access.
SB172 would have required doctors to inform women that they cannot be forced to have an abortion as part of the state’s required informed consent. SB171 would have required abortion providers to post a sign at their facilities stating such coercion is not allowed. Both bills were deemed unnecessary by lawmakers and defeated in committee. Also defeated was a bill passed by the South Dakota House that would have required abortion providers to offer women seeking abortion care the chance to view sonograms.Labels: abortion bans, access, South Dakota, state legislation
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Here is the press release we issued following the vote in South Dakota:Washington, DC - Reacting to today's action by the South Dakota House of Representatives to place another referendum before voters that would ban almost all abortions in the state, Vicki Saporta, President and CEO of the National Abortion Federation (NAF), noted that "Legislators have again put politics ahead of the well-being of South Dakota women." House Bill 1293 would prohibit virtually all safe abortion procedures and contains only narrow exceptions. Saporta called the legislation "an outrageous and dangerous step backward for women's lives and health." If the bill clears the Senate and is signed by the Governor, the measure would be placed before South Dakota voters in the 2008 election. "Just a few months ago, the citizens of South Dakota voted against returning to the days of illegal and unsafe abortions," said Saporta. Last November voters decisively rejected a similar referendum, with 56% of voters casting a vote against a broad abortion ban. Labels: abortion bans, South Dakota, state legislation
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South Dakota Attempts to Have Another Abortion Ban Referendum
A bill that would ban almost all abortions in the state of South Dakota will be voted on today in the state’s House of Representatives. If the bill clears House and Senate and is signed by the Governor, the measure would be placed before South Dakota voters in the 2008 election. Last year, voters decisively rejected an abortion ban referendum. >Learn more about the dangers of abortion bansLabels: abortion bans, South Dakota, state legislation
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States Continue to Attack Abortion Access
State lawmakers across the country continue their attempts to restrict abortion access.
Yesterday lawmakers in South Dakota introduced a bill banning abortion with limited exceptions. In November, voters in the state rejected an abortion ban by a wide margin. This year’s ban has stricter penalties; doctors who provide abortions could be charged with a Class-4 felony and face up to 10 years in prison.
A Utah House of Representatives panel Tuesday approved an unconstitutional abortion ban that challenges Roe v. Wade. Initially Rep. Paul Ray was expected to introduce a “trigger” bill, but at the last minute pushed for an abortion ban with limited exceptions. This is not the first time Utah legislators have tried to outlaw abortion. In the early 1990s Utah passed an abortion ban and spent more than $1 million taxpayer dollars to defend the law all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court where it was struck down as unconstitutional.
Friday, the North Dakota House of Representatives passed a “trigger” bill, which would go into effect if Roe v. Wade were overturned. This measure would ban all safe abortion procedures at all stages of pregnancy with no meaningful exceptions.Labels: abortion bans, access, Roe v. Wade, South Dakota, state legislation
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Georgia Representative Introduces Bill to Ban Abortion
Earlier this week, I reported on some of the attacks on abortion access at the state level. Unfortunately another restrictive bill has been filed this week. State Rep. Bobby Franklin (R) introduced a bill in the Georgia House of Representatives that would ban safe abortion procedures at all stages of pregnancy. This dangerous bill is unconstitutional since it lacks an exception for the life and health of the woman. Franklin has filed similar bills in the last three legislative sessions, but none have reached a vote in the state House. Labels: abortion bans, access, state legislation
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Lawmakers in New Hampshire Seek to Repeal Parental Notification Law
Democrats in New Hampshire, who now have a majority in the state House and Senate, announced they will attempt to repeal the state parental notification law during the next legislative session. The law, which passed in 2003 by six votes in the state House and by one vote in the state Senate, requires doctors to notify parents at least 48 hours before a minor obtains an abortion. In November 2003, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Concord Feminist Health Center, the Feminist Health Center of Portsmouth, N.H., and Manchester, N.H.-based ob-gyn Wayne Goldner filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of this law because it did not include an exception in cases where a minor's health was at risk. The 1ST U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the law in its entirety, but the case was appealed to the Supreme Court. On January 18, 2006, the United States Supreme Court issued its ruling in Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, upholding its own precedent that abortion laws must protect women's health and well-being. The Supreme Court sent the case back to the lower court to determine if the state legislature would have passed the law with a health exception. If not, the Court agreed that the law should be struck down. > Learn more about the dangers of mandating parental involvement. Labels: New Hampshire, parental involvement, state legislation
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Missouri Supreme Court to Hear Parental Consent Case
A state law intended to discourage teenagers from obtaining out-of-state abortions will be argued September 13th before the Missouri Supreme Court. The law would allow parents to sue individuals who assist teens in avoiding Missouri's parental consent abortion requirements. The law has not taken effect and has been under a court injunction since it was passed last September. Labels: parental involvement, state legislation
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New Abortion Rules in Texas for Minors
Unmarried girls under the age of 18 in Texas who wish to obtain abortion care will now need a parent to sign a six-page consent form and get the form notarized before they can have the procedure. Parental involvement laws pose a serious threat to the health of young women, and restrictive abortion laws may worsen family communication rather than promote it. Even without state laws, most parents know about their daughters’ decisions to have abortions. The young women who do not tell their parents often do so for compelling reasons such as emotional or physical abuse or incest. Rather than tell their parents, some teenagers resort to unsafe, illegal abortions, or try to perform the abortion themselves. In doing so, they risk serious injury and death. In addition, teenagers are already more likely than older women to delay seeking reproductive health care. When teens know that they are forced by law to tell their parents or get their permission before obtaining care, they are less likely to access reproductive health care services in a timely manner. When teens know that they are forced by law to tell their parents or get their permission before obtaining care, that delay is compounded Although abortion is extremely safe, it is safest when completed earlier in pregnancy. Delays caused by these laws can result in increased health risks. > Learn more about the dangers of parental involvement lawsLabels: access, parental involvement, state legislation
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Court Denies Delay in Enforcement of Oklahoma’s New Abortion Restrictions
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has refused to issue an injunction against a 2005 Oklahoma parental notification law that mandates physicians notify a parent or guardian at least 48 hours before a minor can receive abortion care. The Center for Reproductive Rights had filed the lawsuit on behalf of a Tulsa clinic to block enforcement of the law because it did not create a proper judicial bypass system for minors to challenge the notification requirement. Parental consent or notification laws which are now enforced in over half of the 50 states can violate the privacy of young women by forcing them to involve their parents in their decisions, even when that may endanger their lives or health. > View stories on how women have been affected by these parental involvement lawsLabels: parental involvement, state legislation
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Florida Funding Crisis Pregnancy Centers
Today, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel examined the state’s funding of Crisis Pregnancy Centers(CPCs). The article sourced NAF’s comprehensive report, Crisis Pregnancy Centers: An Affront to Choice that detailed the many ways CPCs have deceived and intimidated women. The article cited NAF’s concern about government funding of CPCs and quoted me as saying:
"Taxpayers should not be funding clinics that engage in deceptive practices, don't provide any legitimate health care and take away from facilities that do."
Labels: crisis pregnancy center (CPC), state legislation
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Missouri Appeals Abortion Care Ruling for Inmates
Missouri is appealing last month’s federal court ruling requiring that pregnant inmates be allowed abortion care. In July, a federal judge ruled that Missouri policy against transporting inmates seeking abortion care was unconstitutional as it lacked safeguards for due process and against cruel and unusual punishment. > View Associated Press article Labels: state legislation
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New Bill Introduced to Screen Women Seeking Abortions in Michigan
A new proposed bill in Michigan would require that all women seeking abortions be screened prior to the procedure. Providers would have to ask questions to see if the woman was forced or coerced into the decision. > View the WLNS story Labels: Michigan, state legislation
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South Dakota’s Abortion Ban Could Head to the Courts
South Dakota Attorney General said if voters approve an abortion ban it may be challenged in court and could be found to violate the U.S. Constitution. Passed by the state legislature and signed into law earlier this year, the law prohibits all safe abortion procedures at all stages of pregnancy and contains only a limited exception for the life of the woman. In June 2006, pro-choice activists gathered the required signatures to place an abortion ban repeal initiative on November’s ballot challenging the new abortion ban law before it takes effect. > Read the Associated Press articleLabels: abortion bans, ballot initiatives, South Dakota, state legislation
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Dangerous Parental Involvement Proposition in California
Last year, California voters considered Proposition 73, which proposed to amend the California constitution to require minors to notify a parent or legal guardian at least 48 hours before an abortion. Californians rejected Proposition 73 recognizing that these measures can endanger teens. Abortion opponents have collected enough signatures for a ballot initiative that will place a dangerous measure similar to Proposition 73 on the ballot this November. >View the California Healthline article on the 2006 ballot initiative For more information on this measure and Proposition 73, visit the Campaign for Teen Safety. Labels: ballot initiatives, California, parental involvement, state legislation
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Another Battle Over Abortion in South Dakota
Women’s eNews reports that Cecelia Fire Thunder, the first woman president of the Oglala Sioux Nation, is under attack for advocating for a women’s health clinic that would provide abortion care be built on the Pine Ridge Reservation, located in southwest South Dakota. Fire Thunder has since come under attack from abortion opponents, and the Oglala council has passed an abortion ban. Fire Thunder is now facing an impeachment hearing. The article notes that, “Legal abortion, Fire Thunder said, is particularly important for Native American women, who lack access to birth control, who tend to live in poverty and who face epidemic sexual violence.” Read the article on Fire Thunder from Women’s eNEWS. Labels: abortion bans, access, South Dakota, state legislation
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Lousiana Legislature Sends Abortion Ban to Governor
The Louisiana legislature has sent a sweeping abortion ban to the governor for approval. Governor Katherine Blanco is expected to sign the ban into law. Mifepristone is expected to be available in Australia next month. The New York Times has an article analyzing the role of abortion in state elections. Labels: abortion bans, medical abortion, state legislation
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We're Back from Vacation With Your News Update
Dr. Lester Crawford, who headed the FDA when the agency made its controversial decision to withhold a decision on making emergency contraception available over the counter, is facing a criminal inquiry about making false statements to Congress. Emily Lyons, a nurse who was injured when anti-choice extremist Eric Rudolf bombed her facility, has still not received compensation for her injuries. Read the Washington Post story. Gambia’s National Assembly Members ratified a woman’s rights protocol last Tuesday. Among other things, the protocol would allow women to have abortions in cases of rape and incest. Currently, Gambia’s strict abortion laws only have a limited life exception. Anti-choice advocates in Minnesota are trying to stop public funding of abortion services. Read the Associated Press article. The Louisiana abortion ban passed the state Senate last Wednesday. The bill would ban almost all abortions in the state, except in circumstances where a woman’s life is threatened. Labels: abortion bans, anti-choice, state legislation
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El Salvador: Where Abortion is Outlawed
What happens when abortion is illegal? The New York Times Magazine investigates that question in a report from El Salvador, a country where abortion is outlawed in every circumstance. Anti-abortion protestors in Omaha, Nebraska, have started to protest providers and clinic workers at their homes. Read the article in the Sioux City Journal.A sweeping abortion ban is expected to pass the Louisiana state legislature but even Louisiana lawmakers admit that the ban is unconstitutional. Several anti-choice bills went unheard as the Oklahoma State legislative session expired on Thursday. Read the Associated Press story. The Aberdeen American News reports on the controversy surrounding a link to an anti-choice organization on the South Dakota Health Department’s website. Labels: abortion bans, anti-choice, state legislation
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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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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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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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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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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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Emergency Contraception: Coming to a State Legislature Near You
The Washington Post reports that more than 60 bills regarding emergency contraception (EC) have been filed in state legislatures this year. Some of the measures seek to expand access to EC, which can help prevent pregnancy if taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex. But other bills would make it harder for women to obtain EC, even if they have a valid prescription. EC received national attention in 2005 when the FDA refused to issue a decision on making EC available over the counter. The Canadian Supreme Court declined to hear a class-action lawsuit regarding public funding of timely abortions in Canada. The case was brought by two women who had to pay for their own abortions at a private clinic because they would have had to wait more than two months to receive publicly funded care. Labels: access, Canada, Contraception, state legislation
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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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South Dakota Passes Abortion Ban
Yesterday, the South Dakota legislature passed the bill that would ban almost all abortions in the state. This is an extremely sad day for South Dakota women, whose legislators passed the ban without any consideration for their lives and health. The New York Times has a story examining the implications of this development. We also put out a press release yesterday criticizing the legislature for playing politics with women’s lives. Labels: abortion bans, South Dakota, state legislation
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South Dakota and Roe
South Dakota lawmakers will soon vote on a bill that could outlaw almost all abortions in the state. The bill contains an extremely narrow exception for the life of the woman, but women who were impregnated through rape or incest would be forced to carry their pregnancies to term. If the bill passes, South Dakota would hold the impressive honor of having the strictest abortion law in the country. The ban also seeks to challenge Roe v. Wade directly. If it passes, it will likely be challenged in court, as it disregards precedents set in Roe. Today’s New York Times examines how the bill seeks to eventually overturn Roe and send control over abortion laws back to the states. Labels: abortion bans, Roe v. Wade, South Dakota, state legislation
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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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