Last week, a federal judge handed down the decision to temporarily block a anti-abortion law set to take effect in the state of Texas on September 1. The law, SB 8, would have gone into effect on Friday and banned two types of procedures that are usually used in second trimester abortions. The two types […]
South Carolina Governor Blocks Funding to Abortion Providers
In the latest attack on abortion access, South Carolina joins a long list of states who have attempted to pass legislation or set up obstacles for individuals trying to access abortion services. Last week, South Carolina Governor Henry McMasters signed an executive order that bans funding of any non-profit organization or practitioner that offers abortion […]
Motion for Temporary Restraining Order Filed Against Anti-Abortion Extremists Heading to Kentucky
Just days before Operation Rescue/Operation Save America (OR/OSA) plans to bring hundreds of protestors to Louisville, Kentucky to blockade the state’s only remaining clinic providing abortions, the United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky has filed for a court order prohibiting OSA participants from physically blocking or interfering with EMW Women’s Surgical Center.
Nominee for FBI Director Pushed on Anti-Abortion Violence
Last week the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the nomination of Christopher Wray to serve as the new director of the FBI, and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) pressed the nominee on his dedication to protecting abortion clinics from violence.
Anti-Abortion Extremists Descend on Kentucky’s Last Clinic
In less than one week, Operation Save America (OSA)—an anti-abortion extremist group—will be descending on Louisville, Kentucky for their annual national action with the goal to “break America’s covenant with death” by blockading the entrance to the last abortion clinic left in the state.
FACE Act Anniversary Prompts Concerns of Enforcement Under Trump Administration
On the anniversary of the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, advocates for abortion access fear that an increase in anti-abortion violence will be met with limited enforcement by the Trump administration, which has shown unprecedented support for restricting abortion access. Signed into law by President Bill Clinton on May 26, 1994, […]
Last Clinic in Kentucky Blockaded by Anti-Abortion Extremists
The doors to the last remaining abortion clinic in Kentucky were blockaded on Saturday by a group of anti-abortion extremists, leading to the arrest of ten people outside the EMW Women’s Surgical Center in Louisville. Under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrance (FACE) Act, it is a federal crime to block access to a reproductive healthcare center because of the services offered there.
Anti-Abortion Group Files Lawsuit Against Removal of Virginia Abortion Restriction
Last week the Family Foundation filed a lawsuit opposing amendments to Virginia’s “Regulations for Licensure of Abortion Facilities” that removed unconstitutional outpatient surgical center building requirements imposed on clinics that perform abortions.
California Files Felony Charges Against Anti-Abortion Center for Medical Progress
On Tuesday California filed 15 felony charges against Sandra Merritt and David Daleiden, director of the Center for Medical Progress (CMP), the anti-abortion group responsible for the discredited videos released last year that falsely accused Planned Parenthood of illegally selling fetal tissue.
Planned Parenthood Supporters Appear in Thousands to Counter-Protest Anti-Abortion Groups
Nearly 150 collections of Planned Parenthood supporters turned out, ranging in size from dozens to thousands at parks, government buildings, and clinics in 45 states, and oftentimes even outnumbered the amount of anti-abortion protesters.
Threats and Violence Against Abortion Providers Has Skyrocketed, According to FMF Survey
The Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) has released the results of the 2016 National Clinic Violence Survey, an analysis of the anti-abortion violence, intimidation and harassment that occurred at women’s health clinics across the country in the first six months of 2016.
Dr. George Tiller’s Killer Re-Sentenced as Anti-Abortion Crimes Increase
Scott Roeder, the man convicted in 2010 of the premeditated first-degree murder of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller, had his prison sentence lightened last week from the prosecutor’s requested 50 years to 25 years served before eligibility for parole.
Virginia Board of Health Removes Surgical Center Building Requirements for Abortion Providers
Yesterday the Virginia Board of Health voted 11-to-4 to remove the unconstitutional outpatient surgical center building requirements imposed on clinics that perform abortions.
Two Unaffiliated Anti-Abortion Extremists Plead Guilty to FACE Violations
A Joplin, Missouri man was sentenced to 63 months in jail on Tuesday for setting fire to a local mosque and attempting to burn down the town’s Planned Parenthood clinic twice.
Planned Parenthood to Proceed with Federal Lawsuit Against Center for Medical Progress
Last week, in a victory for reproductive rights advocates, a federal judge in California refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood against the so-called Center for Medical Progress (CMP), the anti-abortion group responsible for the discredited videos released last year that falsely accused the women’s healthcare organization of illegally selling fetal tissue.
Kentucky Supreme Court Ruling Creates Further Setback for Abortion Access
In August, the Kentucky Supreme Court upheld a Kentucky Court of Appeals ruling, creating further setbacks for women seeking an abortion in the state. The effort to reopen the EMW Women’s Clinic located in Lexington was denied over a licensing dispute with the State Cabinet for Health and Family Services. This makes EMW Women’s Surgical […]
A New Clinic is Opening in Oklahoma City
There is a new women’s clinic opening this weekend in Oklahoma City, a city that for years has been the largest metropolitan area in the country without an abortion provider.
Anti-Abortion Laws Permanently Blocked in Florida
Last week a Florida district court judge issued a permanent block on two provisions that would have prohibited Planned Parenthood from receiving state or local funding, and would have forced all women’s health organizations that offer abortion services to undergo annual clinic inspections.
Judge Rules Planned Parenthood Shooter is Still Not Competent to Stand Trial
A Colorado judge today ruled that Robert Dear, the man who has admitted to carrying out the 2015 shooting at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood, remains mentally incompetent to stand trial.
Reproductive Health Care Providers Prevail in Spite of Anti-Abortion Protests
National anti-abortion extremist groups attempted to intimidate and harass abortion providers and patients in Cleveland, Philadelphia and Wichita this July.