NEWS SHORTS FOR FRIDAY
Neb. Lawmakers Advance Antiabortion Mental Health Screenings Bill
Nebraska lawmakers voted 36-7 Wednesday to give second-round approval to a bill (LB 594) that would require abortion providers to perform extensive mental health screenings of women prior to the procedure, the Omaha World-Herald reports.
Before advancing the bill, lawmakers approved an amendment from state Sen. Amanda McGill, an opponent of the legislation, that would require the state's Health and Human Services Department to provide women with information about public and private agencies -- including outpatient clinics, crisis intervention services and hotlines -- that offer mental health resources. The information would include a list of agencies, descriptions of services and contact information. McGill argued that if physicians are required tell women about the psychological issues they could face as a result of an abortion, they also should be required to inform them about how to properly obtain potentially useful information about mental health services.
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Several States Consider Bills Prohibiting Abortion Coverage In Health Plans
Although the federal health reform law (HR 3590) includes several restrictions to ensure public money is not used for abortion coverage, antiabortion-rights lawmakers in several states are pushing for legislation that would prohibit abortion coverage in health plans, the Wall Street Journal reports.
According to the Journal, many abortion-rights opponents say the health reform law's abortion-coverage restrictions on plans selling coverage in the state health care exchanges don't go far enough. Five states, including Oklahoma and Tennessee (HB 2681), have introduced bills that would generally block abortion coverage in the exchanges, according to the Guttmacher Institute. In addition, Mississippi Sen. Alan Nunnelee (R) -- who also is running for Congress -- plans to introduce a similar bill this month. The Journal reports that such restrictions likely would affect most small-group and individual plans when the exchanges launch in 2014.
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UK Woman Dies of Blood Clots after Ten Years on the Pill
A 28 year-old UK woman has died of deep vein thrombosis after taking birth control pills for a decade, the Daily Mail reports. Jenna Morris, a bank worker who was planning to marry her live-in fiancé Luke Hawson, was sent home sick from work by doctors who told her she was suffering from kidney stones. She died suddenly when blood clots that formed in her legs spread to her lungs.
Her sister Suzanne confirmed that doctors said the clots were “possibly caused by the contraceptive pill.”
“I am still in shock,” she said. “I still cannot believe what happened. I keep thinking it is a dream.
“People should be aware because it could happen to anyone. Jenna was our beautiful pink princess and a fantastic sister. I miss her so much.”
Studies are increasingly showing connections between hormonal contraceptives and a range of serious health risks.
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Euthanasia Requests Triple in Belgium, Highest Among Young Cancer Victims
After being legalized eight years ago, euthanasia is becoming increasingly frequent in Belgium, according to a recent study by the Flemish-speaking Free University of Brussels (Vrije Universiteit Brussel or VUB).
The number of requests for euthanasia have almost tripled since 2003, when 235 patients reportedly asked to be killed. The number rose to 428 in 2006, 495 in 2007, and 705 in 2008, according to the latest statistic gathered in the study.
The largest group requesting euthanasia is young male cancer victims, although 18 percent are people over the age of 80. Over 6.5 percent are people who are not in the final stages of their lives, but are mostly victims of degenerative neuromuscular diseases.
The majority of euthanasia recipients are killed in their homes by the administration of barbiturates and muscle relaxants.
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Cardinal George at Pfleger Award Ceremony: 'Abortion Kills Racial Justice'
Presiding at an archdiocesan event honoring controversial priest Fr. Michael Pfleger for his civil rights work, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago took the opportunity to criticize media scrutiny of the award, but also to highlight the fact that, far from being irrelevant to the theme of the event, "abortion kills racial and social justice."
The Dr. King Prayer Service and Racial Justice Awards sparked controversy in pro-life Catholic circles after it was revealed that Fr. Pfleger, an outspoken supporter of strongly pro-abortion U.S. President Obama, would receive an award from the archdiocese's Office of Racial Justice at the event.
Cardinal George responded to the controversy in his remarks by defending Pfleger as "a Catholic priest and a pastor,” saying that, “in that capacity, like all good priests and pastors, he acts out of love."
The cardinal then went on to say that, “As part of his ministry for racial justice, Fr. Pfleger has addressed killing, for killing is not an act of love,” a theme that the cardinal applied to the issues of abortion and race. (To read the cardinal's complete remarks, click here)
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Kansas abortions fall by 11%
Abortions in Kansas decreased by 11 percent in 2009, according to a preliminary report by the state's Department of Health and Environment.
But contrary to the opinion of some pro-choice leaders, the drop of 1,170 reported abortions -- from 10,642 in 2008 to 9,472 last year -- was the result of more than the closing of George Tiller's Wichita clinic following his murder, according to Kansans for Life, the state's leading pro-life organization. Tiller, whose clinic specialized in late-term abortions, was shot to death May 31 by Scott Roeder, who was convicted in January of first-degree murder. All major pro-life organizations denounced the killing.
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Illinois Federation for Right to Life
2600 State Street, Ste E
Alton, IL 62002
Phone: 618-466-4122
Web: www.ifrl.org
E-mail: mail@ifrl.org
