A five year old girl is in critical condition after being allegedly kidnapped and raped in Delhi, India. The girl was allegedly kidnapped on Monday by a neighbor. She was discovered after a neighbor heard crying and called the authorities. She was admitted with injuries to her face and chest wall, and bruises on her […]
The Senate rejected a bill that would have expanded the scope of background checks for potential gun owners on Wednesday. In a speech following the defeat, President Obama cited conservative control of the Senate as the reason for the loss: “A few minutes ago, 90% of Democrats in the Senate just voted for [gun control]. […]
A North Dakota Judge has overturned a 2011 law that restricted drug-induced abortions yesterday, citing it as unconstitutional. East Central Judicial District Judge Wickham Corwin stated that, “I remain convinced that a woman’s reproductive rights must be protected under the state constitution and must be recognized as fundamental,” at the end of the three day […]
On Wednesday, an anti-choice collation of Washington state Senators blocked a motion to bring the Reproductive Parity Act to the floor for debate. The bill, which has already passed in the state House and has the Governor’s support, would require that any insurance plan that covers maternity care must also cover abortion care as part of it. […]
On Wednesday, the Louisiana state Senate Health and Welfare Committee approved a bill that would prohibit the use of telemedicine for abortion care. The bill now goes before the Senate. Senate Bill 90 would require a physician to be physically present in the room with a woman who is seeking a medical abortion when she […]
Yesterday, New Zealand became the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to legalize same-sex marriage. The bill passed in a vote of 77 to 44 during its third and final reading, despite mounting opposing from Christian lobby groups, and is expected to go into effect in four months. Lousia Wells, the bill’s sponsor, released a […]
At a press conference this morning, Congresswomen Jackie Speier (D-CA) announced that she is reintroducing the Sexual Assault Training Oversight and Prevention Act (STOP Act) to address sexual assault in the military. In an official statement, Speier said “The epidemic of military rape and sexual assault is a damning indictment of the military judicial system’s […]
The Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed new legislation yesterday that would require doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges to a local hospital within thirty miles. The bill was proposed by Senator Larry Taylor (R) of Galveston. “Requiring hospitals to credential and grant privileges to doctors who provide outpatient services is […]
New Hampshire State Rep. Peter Hansen (R) is being critized for an e-mail he sent to fellow representative Steve Vaillancourt (R) in which he used the word “vaginas” to refer to women. In an email conversation among the state legislators about a controversial “Stand Your Ground” law, Vaillancourt had been advocating retreating when a physical […]
The Senate is scheduled to debate the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013 (S. 649) today, which would require background checks for all firearm purchases and strengthen existing regulations on gun sales. However, it is unsure whether the bill will get enough votes to pass. Sponsor and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was struggling to get the […]
Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the last abortion clinic in Mississippi, won a temporary injunction yesterday against a 2012 law that threatened to shut its doors. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III extended a temporary injunction that prevents the state from closing the clinic as it tries to come into compliance with a […]
Prince AlWaleed bin Talal announced his support for allowing women in Saudi Arabia to drive on Sunday via Twitter. Bin Talal, nephew of King Abdullah, argued that allowing women drivers would benefit the Saudi economy and reduce the country’s dependence on foreign labor. He tweeted “(The question of) women driving will result in dispensing with […]
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal (R-GA) refuses support a group of four students who are trying to racially integrate their high school prom. When asked by a progressive non-profit organization to come out in support of desegregating Wilcox County High School’s prom, the Governor issued a statement discarding the request as a political ploy. Governor Deal’s […]
Representative Steve Stockman of Texas (R) has released a controversial new bumper sticker and slogan for his re-election campaign: “If babies had guns, they wouldn’t be aborted. Vote Pro-Life!” Stockman’s slogan gained attention when he used Twitter to publicize his new slogan last Friday on his @ReElectStockman account. His previous account, @SteveStockmanTX, has been suspended […]
A bill that would remove abortion coverage from Pennsylvania’s new federal health care program passed in a state Senate committee last Tuesday. The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee passed the bill on a vote of eight to five. “Under the Federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, states have the authority to prohibit certain abortion […]
The Virginia Board of Health, in a vote of 11 to 2 gave final approval to new regulations on abortion clinics. Opponents of the laws claim that these new regulations will force most of Virginia’s 20 abortion clinics to close. During the hearings, the board listened to arguments from roughly 30 people on either side […]
The Senate ended a Republican filibuster Thursday that was preventing debate on President Obama’s gun control legislation, which would expand background checks and tighten gun restrictions. In a vote of 68 – 31, 16 Republicans joined Democrats in bringing the legislation to the Senate floor for debate. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) told reporters […]
694 provisions affecting abortion and family planning access have been introduced in state legislatures since the beginning of 2013. According to a first quarter report by the Guttmacher Institute, these 694 provisions were introduced in the first three months of the new year. In addition, 93 provisions have already been approved by at least one […]
A new report shows that women in New York City are 30% more likely to die as a result of childbirth than they were over a decade ago. The report [PDF] produced by the Center for Research and Policy in the Public Interest and published by The New York Women’s Foundation looked at the economic, educational, and […]
Yesterday, thousands of people rallied in front of the Capitol in Washington, DC, in favor of comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for those already living inside the United States. The rally, called Citizenship for 11 Million, drew attendees from across the country to send a message to Congress and the White House […]
