via Lauren McGaughy, New Orleans Times Picayune Gov. Bobby Jindal said oral contraceptives should be available over-the-counter in a Thursday evening op-ed for the Wall Street Journal. The self-described “unapologetic pro-life Republican” governor of Louisiana said this would lower health-care costs, prevent government intrusion into citizens’ lives and fight the influence of big pharmaceutical companies. … Continue reading
via Tara Culp-Ressler, ThinkProgress Planned Parenthood scored two legal victories this week, with rulings in both Arizona and Indiana preventing the healthcare provider from being defunded. A federal judge has blocked Arizona from implementing HB 2800, a measure that would have revoked Medicaid funding for family planning services at any health organization that also provides … Continue reading
via Gregory J. Krieg, ABC News Mitt Romney says he has no plans to push new anti-abortion laws if elected, a position that could put him at odds with parts of his core constituency and his own running mate, Paul Ryan. “There’s no legislation with regards to abortion that I’m familiar with that would become … Continue reading
via The Huffington Post Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan reiterated his well-known opposition to same-sex marriage in Cincinnati today. As ThinkProgress noted of this CNN clip, Ryan responded to an audience member’s question by declaring, “The things you talk about like traditional marriage and family and entrepreneurship…these aren’t values that are indicative to any … Continue reading
via Philip Elliot and Alan Fram, The Huffington Post Republicans emphatically approved a toughly worded party platform at their national convention Tuesday that would ban all abortions and gay marriages, reshape Medicare into a voucher-like program and cut taxes to energize the economy and create jobs. The document opens by warning that while the American … Continue reading
via David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement Former Republican Governor Charlie Crist announced he is endorsing Barack Obama for President noting his former party’s “extreme” positions have made the GOP “incapable of governing.” Citing “the failure of those who favor extreme rhetoric over sensible compromise,” Crist, 56, withdrew from the GOP in his 2009-2010 … Continue reading
via The Associated Press, The Washington Post Voters in this presidential election may face the starkest choice ever on the hot-button social issues of same-sex marriage, abortion rights and access to birth control. Even as most voters tell pollsters the economy is their chief concern, advocacy groups on the left and right are in high … Continue reading
via Charles P. Pierce, Esquire The remarks of Missouri Republican Senate candidate Todd Akin, and Akin’s stubborn refusal to defenestrate himself to placate the party’s leaders who want him gone for saying things that they all agree should never be said out loud, has occasioned much guffawing and posturing — and, very probably, fundraising — … Continue reading
via Evan McMorris-Santoro, Talking Points Memo Rep. Todd Akin, the Republican nominee for Senate in Missouri who is running against Sen. Claire McCaskill, justified his opposition to abortion rights even in case of rape with a claim that victims of “legitimate rape” have unnamed biological defenses that prevent pregnancy. “First of all, from what I … Continue reading
via Bob Egelko, Politics Blog, The San Francisco Chronicle Mitt Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate cements Romney’s own 180-degree turnabout on abortion. Ten years ago, as a candidate for governor, Romney promised to “protect the right of a woman to choose,” and pledged not to change “our pro-choice laws in Massachusetts.” … Continue reading
via Lauren Kelly, Alternet, Salon [Editress’ Note: You can only vote for politicians once every few years. You can vote with your wallet every single day. Make change happen.] — 1. Chick-fil-A It won’t be news to many readers that Chick-fil-A’s owner is deeply entrenched in conservative politics and social issues. The chain has … Continue reading
via Kelly Newson, The Guardian Express Come July 1, Mississippi just may be the only state in the United States to not have an abortion clinic. This is due to a huge vote in that state’s legisture for all physicians to have admitting privileges to the local hospital. Many of the practicing physicians do not … Continue reading
via Laura Bassett, The Huffington Post A massive, 60-page omnibus bill that drastically limits abortion access and could shut down all abortion clinics in the state is being rushed through the Michigan State House of Representatives on Thursday. The bill was introduced just last week, but lawmakers held a hearing for it on Thursday morning … Continue reading
via David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement “Gay marriage” is so 2011. Remember last week when we reported that some conservatives believe America’s third party will focus only on defeating same-sex marriage across the nation? Well, it appears they have their own Super PAC now, and it’s called the No Special Rights PAC. The … Continue reading
via Eric Zorn, Chicago Tribune New Hampshire House Bill 1659 is titled the “Women’s Right to Know Act,” but a more accurate title would be the “Activists’ Right to Lie to Women Act.” The measure, now moving through the Granite State Legislature, requires that at least 24 hours before undergoing a medical abortion, a woman … Continue reading
via Andrea Kelly, Arizona Public Media The state House education committee passed a bill Monday that would prohibit school districts and charter schools from promoting abortion as a better alternative to childbirth and adoption. SB 1009 would require schools to talk about adoption as the preferred alternative to abortion when the issue comes up in … Continue reading
via Laura Bassett, The Huffington Post As a member of a heavily male- and GOP-dominated state Senate since 2008, Ohio legislator Nina Turner says she has cringed watching her colleagues pass bill after bill to regulate women’s reproductive health. Now, the Democrat has become the latest in a series of female state legislators to give … Continue reading
via Laura Bassett, The Huffington Post Following news that Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) seems to have walked back his support for a GOP-sponsored bill that would require women to undergo a physically invasive transvaginal ultrasound procedure before having an abortion, members of the state legislature are speculating that Republicans are looking for a way … Continue reading
via CNN As members of Georgia’s House of Representatives debate whether to prohibit abortions for women more than 20 weeks pregnant, House Democrats introduced their own reproductive rights plan: No more vasectomies that leave “thousands of children … deprived of birth.” Rep. Yasmin Neal, a Democrat from the Atlanta suburb of Jonesboro, planned on Wednesday … Continue reading
via Kate Sheppard, Mother Jones Undeterred by Mississippi’s failed attempt to grant fertilized eggs the same rights as adult humans, anti-abortion rights advocates in Colorado and Virginia signaled Monday that intend to bring the effort to their states. In Virginia, Delegate Bob Marshall (R) filed legislation that would amend the state constitution to declare that … Continue reading
via Laura Bassett, The Huffington Post Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) proposed a bill on Thursday that would force women in the early stages of pregnancy to have a physically invasive and medically unnecessary ultrasound procedure before they can legally consent to having an abortion. The “Heartbeat Informed Consent Act” requires doctors to … Continue reading
During Wednesday night’s Republican debate, Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) stood at a podium flanked by seven men. She articulated her plan to repeal “Obamacare” and to slash gasoline prices when the moderator addressed her, but she generally faded into the background as Rick Perry and Mitt Romney pulled ahead of the pack. Notably, she failed … Continue reading
