News

The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) bill died in the New York state Senate Judiciary committee Wednesday. GENDA would have prohibited discrimination in New York based on gender identification or expression. The legislation failed to pass to a floor vote on a 12 to 11 vote where all Republicans and one Democrat on the committee […]

Incumbent Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and California Republican Senate candidate Carly Fiorina won their respective primary races Tuesday. Incumbent Lincoln, elected to the Senate in 1998 (http://lincoln.senate.gov/about/Biography.cfm), defeated state Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter for the Democratic party nomination. According to the New York Times, Lincoln prevailed despite an expensive campaign against her by environmental and […]

Florida Governor Charlie Crist (I) suggested yesterday that he plans to veto a bill that would require women in their first-trimester of pregnancy to undergo and pay for an ultrasound before getting an abortion in the state. Crist, a former Republican who recently announced that he is going to run for the Senate as an […]

The University of Arizona plans to reinstate domestic partner benefits despite a new law that goes into effect October 1, eliminating benefits for domestic partners of state workers. According to the Arizona Daily Star, the university will offer medical, dental, and vision plans to domestic partners through an alternate plan that is not funded by […]

A Sedgwick County Kansas judge dismissed a petition for release filed by Scott Roeder, the convicted murderer of George Tiller, MD, on Friday at the request of Roeder’s attorney. According to the Associated Press, Roeder filed the petition, which complained about prison conditions and sought a subsequent release from prison, in February. Judge Timothy Henderson […]

On May 28, the ACLU Women’s Rights Project and the ACLU of Louisiana filed an appeal brief challenging the legality of sex-segregated classes at Rene A. Rost Middle School in the Vermilion Parish School District of Kaplan, Louisiana. The ACLU contends that the school district’s policy, which is based on the idea that sex-segregated classes […]

On Wednesday, the Alaska State Supreme Court ruled that a parental notification initiative will appear on the Alaska primary ballot in August. The validity of the initiative, which would require parental notification before a minor can obtain an abortion, was challenged in court by Planned Parenthood. If enacted, the parental notification law would include a […]

The South Carolina legislature approved a nearly $5 billion state budget yesterday that includes a provision allowing the state health insurance plan to cover abortions in cases of rape, incest, or if the mother’s life is in danger. The budget was held up in the state House, but passed on a 64 to 54 vote […]

President Obama signed a presidential memorandum yesterday that extends the benefits available to same-sex partners of federal workers. The memorandum requires immediate action to extend new benefits to partners including family assistance services, hardship transfers, and relocation expenses. To the extent allowed under current law, the memorandum also requires any new benefits conferred to opposite-sex […]

Feminist candidate Terri Sewell (D) will face a runoff election in July for a congressional seat representing Alabama’s 7th District. In the primary on Tuesday, Sewell led with 36.8 percent of the vote. She faces Jefferson County Commissioner Shelia Smoot, who received 28.5 percent of the primary vote, in the runoff. Both defeated State Representative […]

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) made a floor statement late last week honoring abortion provider George Tiller, MD, who was murdered by Scott Roeder one year ago, on May 31, 2009. Scott Roeder was convicted of the murder in March and sentenced to 50 years in prison without the possibility of parole. In the […]

Senate Armed Services Committee voted 16 to 10 to add an amendment to the defense spending bill last week that would expand abortion access to women seeking care at US military hospitals. The amendment, sponsored by Senator Roland Burris (D-IL), would overturn a ban on abortion access at military medical facilities that was instituted in […]

The House of Representatives voted 234 to 194 Thursday to add an amendment to a defense spending bill that would repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT). According to CNN, the full defense spending bill should come up for a vote in the House sometime today. Also Thursday, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted 16 to […]

The National Security Strategy released by the Obama administration yesterday includes a section that vows to support the rights of women and girls. The section reads: “Women should have access to the same opportunities and be able to make the same choices as men. Experience shows that countries are more peaceful and prosperous when women […]

A crisis pregnancy center (CPC) in Silver Spring, Maryland, filed a lawsuit last week in US District Court against Montgomery County, Maryland, over the county’s disclosure law. The law requires CPCs without licensed medical professionals on staff to post a disclaimer that states they do “not have a licensed medical professional on staff” and that […]