Yesterday the New Hampshire Republican-controlled House voted 211 to 116 against a bill that would have repealed the marriage equality law in the state. Rea Carey, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, stated, “This is a wonderful victory for New Hampshire, which again took a stand for families. The House was […]
A press conference was held today to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Congress’s passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). A panel discussion, sponsored by the National council of Women’s Organizations (NCWO), the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum, and the Alice Paul Institute, followed the press conference and featured Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Representatives, Carolyn Maloney […]
Late last week, Republican Governor Gary Herbert (UT) vetoed a bill that would have mandated that public schools teach only abstinence only education, prohibiting the teaching of comprehensive sex education. The bill would have also banned teachers from discussing contraceptives or premarital sex in their classrooms. Governor Herbert indicated that while he believes abstinence should […]
Yesterday Tammy Duckworth won the Democratic Congressional primary in the Illinois 8th district. Duckworth defeated Raja Krishnamoorthi with 67 percent of the vote and will now face freshman Republican Representative Joe Walsh in November. Duckworth, who lost both of her legs during a helicopter crash while serving in Iraq, stated, “We are on our way […]
In New Hampshire, a bill requiring that women undergo a 24-hour waiting period and be given “informational materials” about the medical risks of having an abortion, alternatives to the procedure, and the fetus’ gestational age before having an abortion will return to House committee. Those found in violation of the law could be charged with […]
Yesterday the Idaho Senate voted 23 to 12 to pass Senate Bill 1387, which would require women seeking an abortion to first undergo an ultrasound. The bill will now go to the Idaho House of Representatives and is expected to pass. Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter (R) has not yet indicated whether he will sign the […]
By Cindy Pearson, co-founder of Raising Women’s Voices for the Health Care We Need For the tenth #HERvotes blog carnival, we’re celebrating the second anniversary of the new health-reform law, the Affordable Care Act, or ACA. Why are women so excited about the ACA? Well, for a start, the law has already started removing barriers […]
by Tara Mancini, co-chair of WIN’s Women’s Health Policy Network I think it is no coincidence that the 2nd anniversary of the ACA coincides with the celebration of Women’s History Month. Women have made numerous contributions to society that throughout the ages have received little attention, much like the important protections afforded to women through […]
In New Hampshire, a bill requiring that women undergo a 24-hour waiting period and be given “informational materials” about the medical risks of having an abortion, alternatives to the procedure, and the fetus’ gestational age before having an abortion will return to House committee. Those found in violation of the law could be charged with […]
A study published by the Guttmacher Institute found that 55 percent of reproductive-age women in the United States reside in states that are “hostile” to women’s rights to have an abortion. This is an increase from the 31 percent found in a 2000 student. Rachel Benson Gold, “In 2000, the country was more evenly divided: […]
The Defense of Life Act, which would require the Tennessee Department of Health to publish the names of doctors who perform abortions and demographic information about women who have the procedure online, is scheduled to be introduced in the Tennessee House Health and Human Resources Committee this week. The bill would also require that doctors […]
Reuter’s recent review of the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s internal documents reveals a close and complicated relationship between the US Catholic Church and the Komen Foundation, which both receives funding from the Catholic Church and has allocated over $17.6 million to US Catholic universities, hospitals, and charities. Reuters reports that such intense financial pressure from […]
Reuter’s recent review of the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s internal documents reveals a close and complicated relationship between the US Catholic Church and the Komen Foundation, which both receives funding from the Catholic Church and has allocated over $17.6 million to US Catholic universities, hospitals, and charities. Reuters reports that such intense financial pressure from […]
A bill was approved by the Arizona State House last Thursday that would place further restrictions on birth control access in the state by giving employers the right to refuse coverage for contraception under their insurance. House Bill 2625 would allow employers to cite moral or religious reasons to exempt employees from birth control coverage […]
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced last Friday that the federal government will no longer provide funding through the Medicaid family planning program for the state of Texas. This comes after Governor Rick Perry’s decision to implement a law that would exclude Planned Parenthood from the Medicaid women’s health program, essentially cutting any […]
The Feminist Majority Foundation welcomes and is encouraged by the release by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury, of advance notice of proposed rule-making on preventive services policy that would ensure employees and students at religiously affiliated institutions receive the benefits of the Affordable Care Act preventive care package, including contraceptive […]
After a “closed, two-day meeting,” Catholic Bishops made their top priority defeating birth control coverage in the preventive care package of the Affordable Care Act. The Bishops released a statement yesterday saying that they wanted to protect “religious freedom” and that “this dispute is not about access to contraceptives but about the governments forcing the […]
On Tuesday, US Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, issued a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid calling for a full Senate vote on the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011 (VAWA). In early February, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act […]
After a “closed, two-day meeting,” Catholic Bishops made their top priority defeating birth control coverage in the preventive care package of the Affordable Care Act. The Bishops released a statement yesterday saying that they wanted to protect “religious freedom” and that “this dispute is not about access to contraceptives but about the governments forcing the […]
The Florida House voted 114 to 1 last week in favor of the Healthy Pregnancies for Incarcerated Women Act, which would ban the shackling of women inmates during labor and immediately after they give birth. The bill states that “restraining a pregnant prisoner can increase health risks and the potential for physical harm to the […]
