Pro-Choice Maryland

In June, a historic ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed women's constitutional right to access safe, legal abortion. The case, Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, struck down Texas' abortion restrictions.

Now, it’s time for Congress to do its part.

Fights to improve access to abortion care will continue. Nearly 300 new abortion restrictions have been enacted across the country in the past five years. When the nearest clinic is hundreds of miles away, when waiting periods require multiple clinic visits, when access to medication abortion is restricted — it becomes nearly impossible for some women to exercise their constitutional rights.

We need the Women’s Health Protection Act to prohibit states from imposing a range of restrictions on reproductive care that shame women for their decisions and limit access to safe, legal abortion care.

Sign the petition to your Congressperson now!

( Sponsers of the Petition )

The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday halted the implementation of new abortion restrictions in the state that supporters said are aimed at protecting women's health and critics said are really measures designed to shutter clinics.

Oklahoma is one of several Republican-stronghold states that have adopted similar restrictions on abortion clinics in the last year, prompting legal battles at the state and federal court level.

The Oklahoma court said it will delay the implementation of the measures that began this month "until the constitutionality of the Act is fully and finally litigated."

( more )

Mod's Note: I'm sorry if things have been quiet here lately. I began noticing I wasn't getting email alerts from Planned Parenthood and NARAL, which the last time I got anything from them was in August. So, I signed up again to get email alerts. I'm also pregnant again and I'm about a week to three weeks away from giving birth to my second kid.

Texas Governor Rick Perry called the state legislature back into session July 1 to give lawmakers another chance to pass a measure that may close most of the state’s abortion clinics.

The legislation died in a special session that ended late June 25 after a Democratic senator filibustered. Republican backers forced a vote approving the measure that was later ruled invalid because it came after the midnight conclusion of the session.

“Texans value life and want to protect women and the unborn,” Perry, a Republican, said in a statement yesterday.

The measure that failed would ban abortions at 20 weeks of pregnancy and require that they be performed in ambulatory surgical centers by doctors with admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles (50 kilometers). Most clinics would have to alter facilities to meet the requirements, which abortion-rights advocates say they can’t afford. Doctors at other clinics may struggle to win privileges.

( more )

“Texans value life and want to protect women and the unborn,” Perry, a Republican, said in a statement yesterday.
Want to protect women, my cream colored ass. Some lifers seem like they want to punish women for having sex. If they really want to protect women, they would support abortion when a woman's life is threatened

WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Republican who oppose abortion promoted legislation Wednesday that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

These Republicans want to move ahead despite recent court decisions that have struck down similar state laws. The GOP lawmakers also are taking on their own leadership, which has shown little desire to hold votes on contentious social issues.

Arizona Rep. Trent Franks, joined by 10 other Republicans and anti-abortion advocates at a news conference, said there was a "good chance" that his bill would see action in the full House this year.

Franks and others said the legislation would gain momentum from the recent conviction of a Philadelphia abortion provider, Dr. Kermit Gosnell, for killing three babies born alive at his clinic.

In the four decades that abortion has been legal in the United States "many, until Gosnell, somehow construed abortion as victimless. That has changed," said Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J.

( More )

Franks and others said the legislation would gain momentum from the recent conviction of a Philadelphia abortion provider, Dr. Kermit Gosnell, for killing three babies born alive at his clinic.

In the four decades that abortion has been legal in the United States "many, until Gosnell, somehow construed abortion as victimless. That has changed," said Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J
I doubt that Mr. Smith since abortion and infantside are two whole completely different things. You see, what Dr. Gosnell did was murder three born babies while abortion is terminating a pregnancy that results in the death of a fetus, which is non-viable in most abortions.

From Naral MD:
You've heard the term "man up?" The very same men leading the War on Women want you to "woman up." No, seriously. This is a real thing.

"Woman Up" is a new campaign to soften the image of anti-choice congressional leadership. The very same men behind it -- Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.), Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), and Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (Wis.) -- are leading the charge to wage the War on Women. The irony is almost laughable.

A feminist-sounding campaign name can't erase the onslaught of legislative attacks these very same politicians launched on women: Rape audits. All-male panels on birth control. Defunding Planned Parenthood.

Take action with NARAL Pro-Choice America and tell these anti-choice politicians that the only "Woman Up" campaign that matters is the one that ends their War on Women.

Btw, the initial email I got from Naral had this quote from Boehner:
And now, now we are going to have a fight over women’s health. Give me a break. This is the latest plank in the so-called War on Women. Entirely created, entirely created by my colleagues across the aisle for political gain.
"John Boehner On ‘War On Women’: ‘Give Me A Break’," Talking Points Memo, April 27, 2012

( My Comment )

From NARAL:
We may have beaten the anti-contraception Blunt amendment, but anti-choice politicians are not giving up.

They are still working to undo the no-cost contraceptive-coverage policy and give every boss and corporation the right to take away birth-control coverage from their employees entirely. In fact, we are fighting at least four bills in Congress that go after women’s birth control.

We must tell every senator and representative that enough is enough. No more attacks on birth-control coverage.

From NARAL:
Anti-contraception forces are up in arms over the president’s no-cost birth-control policy, and have launched a multi-million dollar campaign to overturn it.

The attacks have escalated all the way to the U.S. Senate, where there is a new bill that takes the Obama administration’s policy head on. It is designed to take away birth-control coverage from women who work as nurses, custodians, professors, and administrative staff at colleges and hospitals that oppose birth control.

Ninety-nine percent of women use birth control at some point in their lives. Requiring insurance plans to cover birth control at no cost to women is not just common sense, it’s critical to protecting women’s health.

We can only stop the Senate bill with your help. Please contact your senators today– help us get 60,000 messages into the Senate by 5 p.m. on February 10.

From NARAL:
Last year, under Boehner’s watch, the U.S. House of Representatives held eight votes on choice-related issues. That’s the highest number in a decade!

Boehner’s attacks made clear that he could not care less about women’s health, privacy, and dignity.

His “Let Women Die” bill (H.R.358) gives hospitals the right to refuse to provide a woman with emergency, lifesaving abortion care – even if she will die without it.
His “Rape Audits” bill (H.R.3) could spur the Internal Revenue Service to audit rape survivors who choose abortion care.
He almost shut down the entire federal government over women’s access to birth control and cancer screenings.

We will not stand by and let him attack women’s right to make personal, private health-care decisions in 2012. Join us in challenging Speaker Boehner to put an end to the War on Women and stop holding votes attacking choice. Add your name to our letter.

From NARAL:
On November 8, 2011, Mississippians will go to the polls to vote on Ballot initiative 26, which is a vote on whether to ban abortion and possibly most types of birth control in Mississippi. Our opponents are so cruel that they would force a woman who survives rape to carry a pregnancy caused by her attacker.

We know that anti-choice groups have set their sights on Mississippi and, if this egregious measure passes, it will be a victory for anti-choice activists across the country. We can’t let this happen!

NARAL Pro-Choice America is partnering with The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and Planned Parenthood Federation of America to say “NO!” to Initiative 26, and we need YOU!

Training, dinner and refreshments will be provided to all of our volunteers. Phone bank dates (exact event location will be shared when you RSVP):

Tuesday, November 1, 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, November 3, 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Monday, November 7, 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
(Farragut North Metro area)

If you want to contact the person in charge, let me know and I'll message the email to you.