Falling in lockstep with the Supreme Court’s settled decision to affirm Roe v Wade on three occasions--notably in 1992, when Justice Anthony Kennedy cast the fifth vote to reaffirm Roe--the conservative US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit struck down an Alabama law banning second-trimester dilation and evacuation abortions, despite their … [Read more...]
Iowa Passes the Most Restrictive Abortion Bill in America
At the beginning of May, legislators in Iowa got to work on a bill that, once implemented, will prohibit abortions after fetuses develop a heartbeat – at about six weeks. On Tuesday, May 2nd, all but six House Republicans passed the legislation without any support from Democratic representatives, then by 2am on Wednesday, the state Senate approved … [Read more...]
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf Vetoes Stringent “Anti-Choice” Bill
In a major blow to Pennsylvanian Republicans, Governor Tom Wolf vetoed an anti-abortion bill last month that passed with a sweeping majority in both the House and the Senate. If it had received the governor’s signature, the bill would have changed the deadline for abortions from 24 to 20 weeks. What’s more, it would have banned a common abortion … [Read more...]
DC Court of Appeals Delays Abortion of Illegal Immigrant
On October 20th, the DC Court of Appeals rendered a 2-1 decision in favor of the US government, allowing the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to refuse facilitating abortions for illegal immigrants being held by the government. The plaintiff, provisionally named Jane Doe (JD), will now have to wait at least 11 more days while the ORR attempts … [Read more...]
Oklahoma Judge Deems Abortion Law Unconstitutional
Last week, a County Judge in Oklahoma enjoined a law limiting the ingestion of abortion-inducing drugs. Specifically, the law (House Bill 2684) required people seeking an abortion to go to a doctor to have the medication administered. Moreover, the law prevented women from using the drug in an “off-label” manner, though the label has changed since … [Read more...]
Federal Judge Blocks Abortion Law in Indiana
In March of last year, Mike Pence, then-Governor of Indiana, signed a bill making it illegal to abort a fetus due to genetic abnormalities, sex or race. The law also mandated that a fetus be buried or cremated after the completion of an abortion. To make matters worse for reproductive rights advocates, the law required that doctors have admitting … [Read more...]
Eight Circuit Overturns Injunction on Strict Abortion Law
On July 28th, the Eight Circuit US Court of Appeals vacated a lower court’s decision favoring Planned Parenthood in a lawsuit against Arkansas. In 2015, the state passed a law severely limiting access to abortion pills, prompting Planned Parenthood of Arkansas & Eastern Oklahoma to file a lawsuit. The women’s health care organization sought a … [Read more...]
Leaked HHS Rule Could Majorly Reduce Coverage of Contraception
The Trump administration is moving ever closer to its goal of unraveling Obamacare’s contraceptive requirements. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), most employers (except certain religious and non-profit organizations) must cover birth control for their employees. But thanks to a (leaked) proposal from the Health and Human Services (HHS), the … [Read more...]
Pence’s Tie-Breaking Vote Leads to Nullification of Obama-era Rule
Mike Pence cast a tie breaking vote on March 29th, rescinding an Obama-era regulation pertaining to the funding of healthcare providers that offer abortion services. With a vote of 51 to 50 in favor of nullifying the rule, the bill will now go to President Trump who is expected to sign it. A tie breaking vote was necessary after Senators Lisa … [Read more...]
Supreme Court Ruling Could Lead To Nationwide Change In Abortion Law
After a Supreme Court ruling on June 27, many states have prohibited recently enacted laws from going into effect that restrict the availability of abortions. Texas Ruling The case that involved Texas’ newly written law was struck down on June 27. The law would have required doctors who perform abortions to have admittance privileges with nearby … [Read more...]
