April 28, 2022

Fifth Circuit Instructs Texas Court to Dismiss Lawsuit Challenging Texas Heartbeat Act

The Texas Heartbeat Act's unique enforcement method has allowed the law to survive legal challenges for several months. On April 25, that streak continued.

Texas's Heartbeat Act empowers private citizens to file lawsuits against those who knowingly commit or enable abortions against children with detectable heartbeats. This effectively bans abortion after six weeks.

A three-judge panel from the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a district court to dismiss the abortion industry's primary lawsuit challenging the law. The US Supreme Court has seen this lawsuit twice; ruling that the defendants named were not valid. Because the law is enforced by private citizens, the court ruled that some of the state agencies named were not valid defendants.

This lawsuit was sent back to a district court, after which it made its way up to the Texas Supreme Court with a similar question. The Texas Supreme court ruled that the remaining defendants were not legitimate. Now the Fifth Circuit has used that ruling to inform its decision to order that the lawsuit finally be dismissed.

According to Texas Right to Life, 22 lawsuits were filed against the Heartbeat Act after its passage. While one of these lawsuits could still overturn the law, the Heartbeat Act has effectively reduced abortions in the state by 50% since enforcement started.

April 27, 2022

Idaho to Allow State Lawmakers to Defend Heartbeat Law

On April 21, the Idaho Supreme Court decided that state lawmakers would be allowed to defend the new Idaho law banning abortion after six weeks. The law is modeled after Texas's Heartbeat Act, which is still being enforced.

The law protects unborn children by allowing private citizens to file lawsuits against abortionists who kill unborn children after a heartbeat has developed (at approximately 6 weeks gestation). Idaho's law includes exceptions for rape, incest, and medical emergencies. It also limits the people who can file lawsuits to close family members of the aborted child.

Republican House Speaker Scott Bedke requested that the legislature be allowed to intervene in the case challenging the law. He and other lawmakers argued that the Idaho attorney general's office “compromised its ability to defend the legislative body by expressing a legal opinion.” Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden has stated that the legislation was likely unconstitutional, while Idaho Gov. Brad Little suggested that the civil enforcement mechanism might prove unconstitutional.

“Because of the governor’s letter and the opinion of the attorney general’s office, the belief is well nigh inescapable that the Idaho attorney general’s office may be muted, even compromised, in its advocacy for the Legislature and legislative power,” the legislators petitioned.

Doctor who Intentionally Overdosed Dying Patients Found Not Guilty of Murder

Ohio doctor William Husel was accused of purposefully killing at least 25 terminally ill patients by administering the drug, fentanyl. On April 20, a jury found him not guilty of killing 14 of them. The other 11 charges were dismissed earlier in Husel's trial.

The first 11 charges were dropped because the patients were administered fentanyl doses below 1,000 micrograms. Some of the other patients were given as much as 2,000 micrograms. After receiving one such dose, a patient died within five minutes.

During Husel's trial, Franklin County prosecutor David Zeyen argued that Husel should not be exempted from murder charges just because his patients were ill or dying. “If you hasten a person’s death, even if their death is as sure as the sun is going to rise in the morning, if you hasten that along, you have caused their death under the eyes of the law,” he said.

Over 50 witnesses, including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists who worked with Husel, testified for the prosecution. Only one person testified on Husel's behalf.

If found guilty, Husel would have faced life in prison.

April 26, 2022

FDA Warns Against Using Inaccurate, Unapproved Prenatal Tests to Decide Abortion

A statement released by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 19 warns against the use of non-invasive prenatal screening tests as a determining factor for the decision to abort a child.

“While genetic non-invasive prenatal screening tests are widely used today, these tests have not been reviewed by the FDA and may be making claims about their performance and use that are not based on sound science,” said Jeff Shuren, M.D., J.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Without proper understanding of how these tests should be used, people may make inappropriate health care decisions regarding their pregnancy. We strongly urge patients to discuss the benefits and risks of these tests with a genetic counselor or other health care provider prior to making decisions based on the results of these tests.”

The statement goes on to say, "...when screening for a very rare condition, a positive screening result may be more likely to be a false positive than a true positive, and the fetus may not actually be affected. In other cases, a positive screening result may accurately detect a chromosomal abnormality, but that abnormality is present in the placenta and not in the fetus, which may be healthy. "

The FDA expressed concern that patients are using the results of non-invasive prenatal screening to make decisions such as abortion.

In a more detailed post created by the FDA to coincide with its press release, it explained that non-invasive prenatal screening tests do not diagnose conditions such as down syndrome. Positive tests are supposed to show that a child has a greater risk of genetic abnormality compared to average. Negative tests show a lower-than-average risk.

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Over 3,000 Babies Saved Through Abortion Pill Reversal

Heartbeat International revealed last week that the lives of over 3,000 children have been saved via abortion pill reversal.

Heartbeat International, which runs the Abortion Pill Rescue Network (APRN), also said that approximately 150 women start the abortion pill reversal process every month.

The process of abortion via the abortion pill regimen involves two separate drugs taken over several days. The first drug, mifepristone, blocks a pregnancy hormone called progesterone. That hormone helps facilitate the flow of nutrients and oxygen from a mother's body to her child. If progesterone is blocked for too long, an unborn child will die via starvation and asphyxiation.

The second drug, misoprostol, induces labor. The body of the (usually) deceased child is expelled, and the abortion is complete.

A woman who regrets her initial decision to have an abortion can potentially save her child with abortion pill reversal. If she has only taken the first drug in the abortion pill regimen, a doctor can administer progesterone in an attempt to counteract the mifepristone. This is most effective if done within 24 hours of the first pill.

APRN has a hotline that helps connect women who regret taking the first pill with doctors who can help with abortion pill reversal. Those who are interested can visit AbortionPillReversal.com or call 855-209-4848.

April 25, 2022

Judge Temporarily Blocks New Kentucky Pro-Life Law

On Thursday, April 21, US District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings issued a temporary restraining order blocking Kentucky from enforcing its new multi-faceted pro-life law.

The order does not rule on the law's constitutionality. It simply prevents Kentucky from enforcing the law while Jennings considers arguments. The order will expire after two weeks, but Jennings could issue a preliminary injunction blocking the law before then.

This law regulates abortion pills, creates certification requirements for abortion businesses, requires the cremation or burial of aborted children, and prohibits abortion after 15 weeks. It also takes steps to stop taxpayer funding of abortion, and it updates existing laws regarding parental consent and abortion reporting requirements.

“We are disappointed that the court chose to temporarily halt enforcement of the entire law.  This law is constitutional, and we look forward to continuing to defend it,” said Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

April 22, 2022

Pro-Life Groups Challenge Lawsuit Against Pro-Life Michigan Law

Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit against a 1931 Michigan law banning abortion. This lawsuit was filed in anticipation that the upcoming Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson might allow states to once again decide the legality of abortion for themselves. Right to Life Michigan and the Michigan Catholic Conference are challenging Planned Parenthood's lawsuit; arguing that the abortion giant has no legal standing.

Alliance Defending Freedom, which is representing the pro-life organizations, filed a friend-of-the-court brief on April 20 arguing that Planned Parenthood's lawsuit should be dismissed.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel have both made public their opposition to the 1931 law. Whitmer has launched her own separate lawsuit in an attempt to get the Michigan Supreme Court to intervene more quickly. Nessel has stated that she would not enforce the law even if Roe v. Wade was overturned. This is the same administration that would supposedly be defending the abortion ban from Planned Parenthood's lawsuit.

ADF senior counsel John Bursch said in a statement,  

“Michigan’s elected officials have a duty to uphold the law and protect all their citizens, including the innocent lives of unborn children.” He added, “Yet what we are seeing is the state’s top attorney general engaged in an unacceptable effort to attack a pro-life law that has existed peaceably with the state constitution for more than half a century. “

“We urge the court to swiftly dismiss this case because it not only lacks jurisdiction—both sides of the case are arguing for the exact same outcome—but also because it is based on a hypothetical situation. No matter how someone feels about abortion, they should be gravely concerned that Michigan’s attorney general refuses to defend a validly enacted and longstanding law.”

April 21, 2022

Planned Parenthood Responds to Pro-Life Idaho Laws by Leasing a Building on the Border

photo credit: American Life League / Flickr
Much like how Planned Parenthood responded to pro-life policies in Missouri by establishing an abortion facility in Fairview Heights, Illinois, the Abortion giant is responding to Idaho policies by leasing a medical building in Ontario, Oregon.

Idaho's new heartbeat law has been temporarily blocked by courts, but the state also has two trigger laws that could go into effect if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Pro-life advocates hope that Roe is overturned this summer when the court makes its ruling on Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban (Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization).

Oregon has an established reputation as a pro-abortion state. Its lawmakers voted down legislation that would protect babies born alive during attempted abortions, and the state allocates millions of dollars to fund abortion.

Pritzker Calls 15 Week Abortion Ban "Dangerous"

Gov. J.B. Pritzker took to Twitter on April 15 to criticize Florida's new law banning abortion after 15 weeks gestation.

"This is dangerous," Pritzker wrote. "As states across the country continue to restrict access to reproductive healthcare services, Illinois will continue to be a leader in providing access to healthcare for all who need it."

Abortion is not healthcare. It does nothing to improve the health of the mother, and it aims to end the life of a separate human being. By being a "leader" in the abortion industry, Illinois enables abortion businesses to take advantage of disadvantaged women. Women seldom choose abortion because they are sick or injured. They most often choose abortion for career and financial reasons. This is reflected in studies by BMC Women's Health, the Guttmacher Institute, and PubMed Central.

In a follow-up tweet, Pritzker wrote, "We will ensure women everywhere have the resources they need to make the best decision for themselves."

Recent actions by the Illinois legislature, such as the repeal of parental notice, do not empower women with resources to make a decision for themselves. They push women toward choosing abortion.

April 20, 2022

Biden Admin to End Trump Conscience Protection Rule

photo credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr
The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that the Biden administration is in the process of scrapping a Trump rule protecting the conscience rights of medical workers.

The rule in question allows medical workers to refuse to provide services that conflict with their religious or moral beliefs. It was issued in 2019, but it was quickly blocked by federal courts. As a result, it has never been enforced.

When the rule was finalized, OCR Director Roger Severino gave the following statement summarizing its significance:
“Finally, laws prohibiting government-funded discrimination against conscience and religious freedom will be enforced like every other civil rights law. This rule ensures that healthcare entities and professionals won’t be bullied out of the health care field because they decline to participate in actions that violate their conscience, including the taking of human life.”

If the rule were ever to be enforced, it would offer support and security to pro-life medical workers who refuse to participate in life-ending procedures such as abortion and euthanasia. By scrapping the rule, the Biden administration is working to dismantle any potential protection it could provide.

Click here to read more.

Maryland Lawmakers Override Veto of Pro-Abortion Bill

photo credit: Jimmy Emerson / Flickr
On April 9, Maryland lawmakers voted to override Gov. Larry Hogan's veto of a bill allowing non-physicians to commit abortions.

Gov. Hogan vetoed the bill, titled the "Abortion Care Access Act" on April 8. In a statement, he said that the legislation “endangers the health and lives of women by allowing non-physicians to perform abortions.” Unfortunately, the pro-abortion majority in the Maryland General Assembly was able to quickly override that veto.

The people allowed to commit abortions under the new law include nurse practitioners, midwives, and physician assistants. The law also requires state Medicaid providers and private insurance companies to pay for abortions without deductibles or co-pays. The law does allow for religious exemptions. Further, the law creates an abortion worker training program that will cost $3.5 million annually.

April 19, 2022

Massachusetts City Bans Pro-Life Pregnancy Resource Centers

A new city ordinance for Somerville, Massachusetts bans pro-life pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) from operating within city limits.

The city council unanimously voted to pass the ordinance, arguing that PRCs mislead and harm women by refusing to provide or promote abortion. There were PRCs in the city, but the ordinance was enacted with the intention of preventing any from establishing themselves in the future. Violators will be subject to a $300 fine.

“[I’m] very proud of the CPC Ordinance as it can make a direct impact on many residents’ lives, ensuring that my constituents have the dignity to make their own medical decisions based on accurate healthcare information,” said City Councilor-at-Large Kristen Strezo. “This shows my continued commitment to the protection of abortion rights, access to reproductive health care, and an individual’s right to make reproductive decisions about one’s own body.”

After the ordinance passed, Planned Parenthood put out a statement thanking the council members for supporting "reproductive rights and reproductive justice." The ordinance certainly benefits the abortion giant by prohibiting pro-life competition. In addition to ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, and consultations, PRCs help parents care for their children after they are born by providing baby items, financial assistance, and referrals for other assistance.

April 18, 2022

Kentucky Lawmakers Override Veto of Pro-Life Bill

photo credit: Matt Turner / Flickr
Kentucky legislators voted on April 13 to override Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of a pro-life law that, among many other things, prohibits abortion after 15 weeks. The law went into effect immediately, and the state's two abortion businesses chose to close down rather than comply with new regulations.

Pro-abortion organizations have already filed lawsuits to try and block the law.

Kentucky legislators voted to override Beshear's veto by a vote of 76 to 21 in the House and 31 to 6 in the Senate.

In addition to banning abortion after 15 weeks, the new law prohibits telemedicine abortions, requires abortion pill distributors to be specially certified, creates a "complaint portal" for individuals to report suspected violations, updates reporting requirements for abortion businesses, strengthens parental consent guidelines, prohibits tax dollars from funding abortion, and creates guidelines to ensure the bodies of aborted children are treated with respect.

April 15, 2022

Baby Tinslee Goes Home After Surviving Hospital's Attempt to Invoke Texas's "10-Day Rule"

Tinslee Lewis
After several years of legal battles to prevent a hospital from disconnecting her life support, three-year-old Tinslee Lewis is finally going home to live with her family.

Tinslee has spent most of her life at Cook Children's Hospital in Texas. After her premature birth in 2019, she received special care due to a heart defect causing her heart to press against her lungs. After nine months, however, the hospital invoked Texas's 10-day rule, threatening to withdraw life-sustaining care unless her family found another hospital to take her in 10 days.

Pro-life groups and disability advocacy groups helped Tinslee's mother, Trinity Lewis, put together a legal defense to fight for her daughter's life. On April 7, over 800 days after Cook Children's Hospital initially invoked the 10-day rule, Tinslee was healthy enough to go home.

In a statement to Live Action News, Texas Right to Life wrote, "“She’s on home health now and is doing great! She shakes her head ‘no’ when she’s annoyed and when her grandpa leans over and asks her for a kiss, she kisses him on the cheek. Cook Children’s worked with the family to improve Tinslee’s health to the point that she no longer needs a hospital setting for care. She turned three years old on February 1.”

Florida Gov. Signs 15 Week Abortion Ban

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R)
photo credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed "Reducing Fetal and Infant Mortality" on April 14. This legislation would prohibit abortion in the state after the child reaches a gestational age of 15 weeks.

The law is modeled after Mississippi's "Gestational Age Act," which is currently before the US Supreme Court.

The new law includes exceptions for cases when the mother's life is in danger, if two doctors certify that giving birth poses a "serious risk" to the mother's physical health, or if the baby is diagnosed with a "fatal fetal abnormality."

"We praise Governor Ron DeSantis, the pro-life members of the Florida state legislature, and Florida Right to Life for all of the hard work that went into seeing this legislation become law," said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. "No unborn child should suffer and die from an abortion. Florida’s law will protect unborn children and their mothers from the horrors of abortion."

April 14, 2022

Yelp to Pay Employees' Abortion Travel Expenses

Following the example of the banking corporation Citigroup, the review platform Yelp announced this week that it will pay the travel expenses of employees who travel out of state for an abortion.

Pro-abortion companies started adding abortion travel expenses to their employee benefits in response to legislation like Texas's Heartbeat Act. The law prohibits abortion after the child's heartbeat is detectable, and its unique enforcement method has made it resistant to legal challenges. For this reason, other pro-life states are enacting similar laws.

“We’ve long been a strong advocate for equality in the workplace, and believe that gender equality cannot be achieved if women’s healthcare rights are restricted,” said Miriam Warren, Yelp's chief diversity officer. “As a remote-first company with a distributed workforce, this new benefit allows our U.S. employees and their dependents to have equitable access to reproductive care, regardless of where they live.”

The Associated Press reported that Yelp has an estimated workforce of 4,000. Roughly 200 of those employees live in Texas.

Click here to read more.

Florida Judge Upholds 24-Hour Waiting Period Law

Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey ruled on April 12 to uphold a 2015 Florida law requiring women to wait 24 hours before getting an abortion.

In her ruling, Dempsey noted that other decisions, such as getting married or purchasing a firearm, have even longer waiting periods. “Twenty-four hours is the minimum time needed to sleep on such an important decision,” she wrote.

A county judge ruled in 2018 that the law was unconstitutional, even though 27 other states already had similar laws. That ruling was reversed in 2019. Dempsey's ruling again affirms that a 24-hour waiting period is unconstitutional.

April 13, 2022

Oklahoma Gov Signs Law Making Committing Abortion a Felony

On April 12, Oklahoma Gov Kevin Stitt signed into law legislation banning most abortions. Abortionists who violate the law can be charged with a felony.

The only exception allowed by the new law is if the mother's life is at risk. Additionally, the child's mother will not face these legal penalties under this law. Only those who commit the abortion can be charged.

Those found guilty of committing an abortion can be punished with up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.


“I promised Oklahomans that I would sign every pro-life bill that hits my desk and that’s what we’re doing today,” Stitt said at the signing ceremony. “As governor, I represent all 4 million Oklahomans, and they overwhelmingly support protecting life in the state of Oklahoma. We want Oklahoma to be the most pro-life state in the country. We want to outlaw abortion in the state of Oklahoma.”

Stitt continued, “Attorney General John O'Connor and I know this bill will be challenged immediately by liberal activists from the coast, who always seem to want to come in and dictate... our way of life here in the state of Oklahoma. The most important thing is to take a stand and protect the unborn...”

The new law is scheduled to take effect this summer, but it will likely be challenged long before then. Pro-life Oklahomans are hoping that the Supreme Court soon overturns Roe v. Wade in its upcoming Dobbs v. Jackson decision.

April 12, 2022

Two Ohio Abortion Businesses Fined for Dumping Remains and Private Patient Info

Planned Parenthood Bedford Heights
photo credit: Operation Rescue
Two abortion businesses in Ohio were fined a combined total of $12,500 for dumping private patient information and the remains of aborted babies.

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) ordered Northeast Ohio Women's Center to pay $7,500. Planned Parenthood Bedford Heights was ordered to pay $5,000.

Matthew Connolly, a homeless man who maintains relationships with pro-life organizations, found the information and remains while searching through dumpsters for food. Documents showing the names, dates of birth, phone numbers, and addresses of patients were found among the medical waste. At Northeast Ohio Women's Center, Connolly found the body of a baby girl aborted at 17 weeks. Pro-life advocates later held a burial ceremony for the girl, whom they named Gianna-John.

“These violations show how little abortion facilities really care about patient privacy,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “They act like abortions should be more private than our nuclear secrets, especially when they injure a woman during an abortion. But in their daily practices, they treat women’s names and medical health information with callous disregard.”

Kentucky Gov. Vetoes Pro-Life "Omnibus"

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D)
On April 8, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) vetoed a pro-life "omnibus" bill. This sends it back to the state legislature, where lawmakers will likely vote to override the veto.

The bill contains several pro-life provisions. Doctors would be required to obtain a certification to dispense abortion pills. Kentucky would create a complaint portal for abortion-related violations. Aborted children would be guaranteed dignified burials. The law would also update reporting requirements for abortion businesses, and strengthen parental consent requirements. Additionally, the law would limit abortion to the first 15 weeks of pregnancy and prohibit taxpayer funding of abortions.

In Gov. Beshear's letter explaining the veto, he called the law "likely unconstitutional" and decried the lack of exceptions for rape and incest.

If the Kentucky General Assembly overrides Beshear's veto, the bill will go into effect immediately.