Proposed Law Requires Missouri Prosecutors to Be Notified If Teen Seeks Abortion
The Missouri House has passed legislation requiring prosecutors to be informed when teenagers seek abortions. The legislation passed Tuesday would apply when people younger than 18 inquire about getting an abortion -- even if they do not go through with it. Supporters say the intent is to help identify men who may have impregnated teens through rape. Other parts of the bill would create a new crime of coercing a woman to obtain an abortion and expand the information that must be provided to a woman 24 hours before an abortion. Some House members said their goal is to reduce the number of abortions in Missouri.
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Legislature passes rewrite of abortion laws
Kansas legislators were close Tuesday night to approving a bill designed to strengthen state laws regulating late-term abortions, but supporters didn't have a veto-proof majority in both chambers. The Senate passed the bill 24-15. The Republican-controlled House was expected to give its approval late Tuesday night, sending the bill to Democrat Gov. Mark Parkinson, an abortion supporter. The measure would allow patients or family members to sue doctors if they have evidence an abortion violated state law. Also, doctors would be required to report more details to the state about abortions performed after the 21st week involving fetuses that are found to be viable, or able to survive outside the womb.
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Pregnant Student Privacy Rules Approved
The San Diego Unified school board decided to change a controversial policy that had mandated that school staff contact parents if they discovered that a student was pregnant or considering an abortion, ending nearly three years of debate and uncertainty over the rules. Planned Parenthood and other advocates for changing the rule said it brought the school district in line with state law. The new rules state that student pregnancy or other sensitive medical information is confidential. The revised policies also permit students to leave campus without notifying their parents if they need to obtain confidential medical services, which can range from alcohol counseling to abortion.
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Baltimore Archdiocese Files Lawsuit To Block Crisis Pregnancy Center Signs In City
The Archdiocese of Baltimore on Monday filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court that seeks to block an ordinance requiring crisis pregnancy centers to post signs stating they do not provide abortion services and information. The suit names as defendants the city of Baltimore and its mayor, City Council, health commissioner and health department. Archbishop Edwin O'Brien said the ordinance "is a clear violation of these centers' constitutional rights to free speech and their free exercise of religion" (AP/San Francisco Examiner, 3/29).
According to the Baltimore Sun, the ordinance requires that a "limited-service pregnancy center" posts an easily readable sign in English and Spanish stating that the center does not offer abortion and birth control services, nor does it provide referrals for such services. Centers that fail to comply within 10 days of being cited could be fined up to $150 per day.
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Oklahoma House Passes 3 Abortion Regulations
The Oklahoma House has approved three pro-life bills by wide margins. All of the Senate-passed bills were passed by the House on Monday. The first prohibits abortions based solely on the sex of the child. A second known as the Freedom of Conscience Act allows health care professionals to refuse to participate in abortions. The third bill makes it illegal for anyone other than a physician who is physically present to administer the chemical abortion pill, RU-486. It also requires physicians to file a report under certain circumstances. All three provisions were included in a single bill passed by the Legislature last year that was overturned by an Oklahoma County judge who ruled it violated the state Constitution's single-subject rule.
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Nebraska Senate Passes 'Pain Prevention' Regulations
It's called the Abortion Pain Prevention Act. It would ban abortions after twenty weeks of pregnancy. Julie Schmit-Albin, the executive director of Nebraska Right To Life supports it. "It will draw a new line in the sand a new standard to say if these babies can feel pain then why are we allowing these babies to be killed." The bill is sponsored by the speaker and supported by the governor but not every member of their party supports it. Not to mention groups like planned parenthood and the aclu who see it as a constitutional quagmire. Laurel Marsh is the executive director of ACLU Nebraska. "First it bans abortions that would be performed prior to fetal viability and second there's an inadequate provision to protect the health of the pregnant woman." Click here for the video report.
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