2020 was an unprecedented and difficult year, but that didn’t stop feminists from achieving some great things over the last 12 months. Kamala Harris became the first female Vice President of the U.S. In November, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris became Vice President-elect of the United States. Harris broke multiple barriers by becoming the first woman, […]
Ohio Governor Expected to Sign Bill Requiring the Burial of Abortion Remains
Last Thursday, the Ohio House of Representatives approved a bill that would require the burial of fetal remains from surgical abortions. The bill passed along party lines by a vote of 60-36 in the House, and 24-7 in the Senate. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is expected to sign the bill into law. The measure will […]
Court Rules Texas and Louisiana Can Cut Medicaid Funding for Planned Parenthood
A federal appeals court ruled on Monday that both Texas and Louisiana can stop providing funding to Planned Parenthood clinics, a clear move against abortion rights that will disproportionately impact low-income people and people of color. This move by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans also impacts Mississippi, which is under […]
Amendment 1 Passes, Further Restricting Abortion Access in LA
Last week, Louisiana voters passed Proposed Amendment 1, which explicitly states that the state constitution offers no protections for a right to an abortion or funding for abortions. Voters passed the constitutional amendment 62 percent to 38 percent. If Roe were to be overturned, which is a rising concern due to the appointment of Justice […]
Judge Strikes Down Tennessee Abortion Law Requiring 48-Hour Waiting Period
On Wednesday, a federal judge struck down a 2015 law in Tennessee requiring pregnant people to wait 48 hours after a clinic visit to have an abortion procedure done. The judge, Bernard A. Friedman, found that this law “placed an undue burden on women, particularly low-income women, by requiring them to travel to a health […]
New Jersey Moves to Codify Roe v. Wade into State Law
With the recent death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Trump’s swift move to nominate Amy Coney Barrett as her replacement, reproductive rights are on the line, with many anti-abortion advocates hoping Roe v. Wade will soon be overturned. Last Friday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy unveiled the state’s Reproductive Freedom Act, which is “proactive […]
Mexican Women Protest for Legalized Abortion
Yesterday, on International Safe Abortion Day, hundreds of women in Mexico City clashed with the police during protests demanding nationwide legalized abortion in Mexico. The protestors donned green bandanas, the symbol of the Latin American pro-choice movement, and threw Molotov cocktails and bottles at police lines. Much of the police force was comprised of female […]
Trump Nominates Conservative Judge Amy Coney Barrett to Fill RBG’s Seat
President Trump announced that he will nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Barrett is a staunch conservative with opposite views of Justice Ginsburg’s. Judge Barrett is a member of the religious group People of Praise, which “preaches women’s subordination to men and […]
Whistleblower Reveals ICE Facility Practiced Forced Hysterectomies
On Monday, Dawn Wooton, a whistleblower who formerly worked as a nurse at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Georgia filed a complaint to the Department of Homeland Security inspector general, detailing medical neglect and a high rate of hysterectomies in the facility. The facility is Irwin Detention Center, run by private corporation […]
New Billboard Campaign in Illinois Informs Public that Abortion is Covered by Medicaid in the State
This week in Chicago’s suburbs and across Illinois, the Chicago Abortion Fund launched a new billboard campaign to inform the public that abortion care is covered by Medicaid in Illinois. The billboard reads: “Abortion Is Healthcare. It’s Covered By Illinois Medicaid”. Under the Hyde Amendment, the 1976 law still in effect today that prohibits federal […]
Supreme Court Rejects Louisiana TRAP Law
The Supreme Court voted Monday 5-4 to reject a restrictive Louisiana abortion law. The law would have required abortion clinic doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. Chief Justice John Roberts was the deciding vote, joining Justices Stephen G. Breyer, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg in an act of precedent protection. […]
After Legal Dispute, Missouri’s Only Abortion Clinic Gets License
On Thursday, Missouri’s only abortion clinic was issued a license to operate for another year. The license ensures that Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region can continue safely providing abortions until it must be renewed again in June 2021. The license comes after a year-long dispute with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior […]
Pro-Choice Groups File Lawsuit Against Iowa’s 24-Hour Abortion Waiting Period
Planned Parenthood and the ACLU filed a lawsuit asserting that an amendment passed by the Iowa legislature requiring a 24-hour abortion waiting period violates due process and equal protection clauses of the Iowa Constitution. The amendment requires that all those seeking an abortion wait at least 24-hours after their initial appointment with an abortion provider […]
Lack of Access to “Non-Essential” Healthcare Severely Impacts Marginalized Communities
As COVID-19 cases surge in the United States, many states have shifted healthcare policies to place a greater focus on those who have been infected. In order to do this, states must determine what is essential and non-essential healthcare, impacting marginalized people, such as poor people, communities of color, and women in severe ways. In […]
Three National Organizations Challenge Tennessee Heartbeat Bill
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Planned Parenthood, and the Center for Reproductive Rights filed an emergency lawsuit Friday afternoon against Tennessee’s heartbeat bill. The lawsuit aims to block the legislation from being enacted and ultimately declared unconstitutional. If enforced, the bill would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. This can occur as […]
Tennessee Legislature Passes Bill Banning Abortion After Fetal Heartbeat Is Detected
On Friday, the Tennessee legislature passed a bill banning abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected – generally after 6 weeks of gestation. The bill was passed as part of larger budget negotiations held between Tennessee’s two legislative chambers. Its passage came as a shock to many pro-choice advocates, as the bill was not […]
Mississippi Could Ban Abortion Based on Race, Sex, or Genetic Anomalies of Fetus
The Mississippi Legislature is advancing a bill to ban abortions from being performed based on race, sex, or potential physical disabilities caused by genetic anomalies. The Republican-led Senate passed the bill Wednesday by a 33-11 margin. The House is expected to send the bill to Republican Governor Tate Reeves later this week. Senator Joey Fillingane […]
Anti-Choice Group Files Lawsuit Against Illinois Reproductive Health Act
On June 10, the Thomas More Society (TMS) filed a lawsuit against the Illinois Department of Insurance claiming that the Illinois Reproductive Health Act is unconstitutional and violates the religious liberties of its clients. TMS argues that the law requiring employers to provide insurance that covers abortions violates the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act and […]
Planned Parenthood Endorses Joe Biden for President
On Monday, Planned Parenthood Action Fund announced their endorsement of former Vice President Joe Biden for president. In a video statement, acting president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Alexis McGill Johnson, explains the decision. She cites the work done during the Obama-Biden administration. “While Joe Biden was Vice President, more people got insurance coverage than […]
Federal Judge Dismisses a Challenge to the Trump Administration’s Title X Rules
On Tuesday, a federal judge dismissed a challenge to the reformed Title X rules, also known as the Trump administration’s “gag rule”, that puts limits on what federally funded health care providers can tell patients about accessing abortion services. Title X is a “federal grant program created in 1970 to provide comprehensive and confidential family […]