Reproductive health advocates are responding to comments made this week by Anthony Picarello, general counsel to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Arguing for an even more extreme exemption for religious organizations, Picarello said, “If I quit this job and opened a Taco Bell, I’d be covered by the mandate,” citing that mandating birth control […]
Last Thursday, I attended the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting when they voted to send the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011 to the Senate floor for a vote. Every Committee Democrat voted yes and every Republican voted no. Most of the Republicans didn’t even show up to cast their no votes, but did so […]
More information is forthcoming. View video of the event. You can find the press kit here: Media Advisory AU Students for Choice Press Release Catholic Students for Women’s Health Press Release Catholic University Students Press Release George Washington University Students Press Release Georgetown Law Students for Reproductive Justice Hoyas for Choice Press Release Joint Statement […]
Students spoke out today in favor of birth control access on college campuses in response to pressure from Catholic bishops to restrict contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Students from Catholic University of America, Georgetown University, Georgetown Law School, American University, and Fordham University spoke at the press conference this morning in Washington, […]
Late last week, a bill that would enable state-funded private adoption agencies in Virginia to refuse placements on the basis of their religious or moral beliefs, including banning placements with same-sex couples passed the state House of Delegates by a vote of 71 to 28. The Virginia Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee also endorse […]
Yesterday Rick Santorum won the Minnesota and Colorado caucuses, as well as a nonbinding Missouri primary. All three races are considered largely symbolic given that no delegates were determined for the states last night. These are the first victories for Santorum since the Iowa caucuses on January 3. Rick Santorum has been under fire for […]
Late last week, a bill that would enable state-funded private adoption agencies in Virginia to refuse placements on the basis of their religious or moral beliefs, including banning placements with same-sex couples passed the state House of Delegates by a vote of 71 to 28. The Virginia Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee also endorse […]
A three judge panel of the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco just decided (2-1) that Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage in California, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the US Constitution. The Court upheld Judge Vaughn Walker’s 2010 decision to strike down Proposition 8, with Judge Stephen Reinhardt writing, “Although […]
The Health and Human Services Committee of the South Dakota state House voted against a bill that would have banned crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) from engaging in false advertising. The law would have prevented CPCs from falsely advertising that they provide abortion services. Lawmakers argued that the law was unnecessary since the state already has […]
David Bahati, a member of the Ugandan Parliament and one of the leaders of the Family or Fellowship of C Street fame (see Jeff Sharlet’s latest book on C Street), reintroduced an anti-gay bill today. Bahati first introduced the bill in 2009. It called for the death penalty in cases of “aggravated homosexuality,” for engaging […]
US District Judge Ronald Leighton heard closing arguments last week in a lawsuit concerning a law requiring that pharmacists sell emergency contraception. Washington state law mandates that pharmacists stock and provide their patients with medicines that they medically need. Nevertheless, pharmacists may be permitted to request that another pharmacist at the same location provide the […]
The Huffington Post reports that Karen Handel, vice president of the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure, was largely responsible for the organization’s since-reversed decision to stop awarding grants to Planned Parenthood Affiliates. Handel is known for having expressed her strongly anti-abortion views during her campaign for governor of Georgia. A source told the […]
For International Day of Zero Tolerance of FGM/C today, the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme for the Acceleration of the Abandonment of FGM/C released a new report, Key Results and Highlights 2011, which indicates that approximately 2,000 African communities have abandoned female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, stated, “These encouraging findings show that […]
The Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure issued a statement today indicated that it would continue to provide grants to Planned Parenthood affiliates for breast cancer screenings, treatments, and education after announcing earlier this week that it would cease providing such grants. The Komen Foundation stated, “We want to apologize to the American public […]
Yesterday the Virginia Senate Committee on Education and Health voted against a bill that would have banned abortions at 20 weeks and would impose criminal penalties on doctors. The bill is based on the unfounded notion that the fetus can feel pain at this point in the pregnancy. The American College of Gynecology refutes assertions […]
The Washington state Senate voted 28 to 21 this week to pass a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, with four Republicans voting in support of the bill. The bill could go to the state House as early as next week, where it is expected to pass. Governor Chris Gregoire (D) has indicated that she will sign […]
The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011 (VAWA) was voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning on a party-line vote of 10-8. All Democrats voted to move the bill to the Senate floor for a vote and all Republicans voted no. Although Republican Judiciary Committee Members voted against sending the bill to […]
The US Departments of Labor and the Treasury announced, following the President’s State of the Union Address, two executive actions to help Americans save for retirement and to plan for longevity, as well as to increase transparency regarding their 401K plan options. According to the Departments of Labor and the Treasury, the executive actions are […]
Yesterday the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure announced that, in accordance with its new policies, it will no longer award grants to Planned Parenthood affiliates to conduct breast cancer screenings, education, and treatment. Anti-abortion groups have criticized and threatened the Susan G. Komen Foundation for providing approximately $600,000 annually to 19 Planned Parenthood […]
The US Departments of Labor and the Treasury announced, following the President’s State of the Union Address, two executive actions to help Americans save for retirement and to plan for longevity, as well as to increase transparency regarding their 401K plan options. According to the Departments of Labor and the Treasury, the executive actions are […]
