Article: Idaho Mother Charged With "Unlawful Abortion", Turned in by Anti-Choice Advocate

Taken from: http://www.care2.com/causes/womens-rights/blog/idaho-woman-charged-with/


Unable to afford the doctors visits and medical bills associated with an actual medical abortion, Jennie L. McCormack of Idaho instead had her sister purchase drugs online to ingest in order to cause a miscarriage. McCormack, who is the mother of three, is now being charged with "unlawful abortion" according to the Associated Press.

If McCormack is found guilty, she could be subject to a $5000 penalty as well as up to five years in prison.

McCormack's case is a sign of the true desperation of women in this country. She said she believed she was only 14 weeks along, although the examination of the remains concluded it was more likely 20-25. She is already a mother of more than one child, one still a toddler. But financially she was cut off from any choice she wanted to make about how many people she wanted in her family, unable to procure an abortion she couldn't afford, and now facing criminal penalties for taking the only option left to her.

According to the report, McCormack was turned into the police by the sister of on of her friends, a woman who stated "There's other things she could have done. She could have asked for some type of help."

But it's obvious that the only "help" that was acceptable in this situation, according to the tipster, was to have the baby, and that the woman who contacted the police did it solely to punish McCormack. "I'm a grandmother myself. And the love and the compassion I have for my grandkids? They're my life. And I felt that if somebody didn't speak up for this baby, who would? It doesn't have a voice anymore," Carnahan said.

Idaho has recently passed a 20 week abortion ban, making any abortion after that point a criminal activity. How many more women will take it into their own hands to try and self-abort due to the lack of ability to obtain a doctor who can perform the procedure safely? And how many women are conservatives willing to throw in jail for the crime of not wanting to add another mouth to feed to their families?

Article: Texas Cheerleader Must Compensate School That Told Her to Clap Rapist

Taken from: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/cheerleader-must-compensate-school-that-told-her-to-clap-rapist-2278522.html


A teenage girl who was dropped from her high school's cheerleading squad after refusing to chant the name of a basketball player who had sexually assaulted her must pay compensation of $45,000 (£27,300) after losing a legal challenge against the decision.

The United States Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a review of the case brought by the woman, who is known only as HS. Lower courts had ruled that she was speaking for the school, rather than for herself, when serving on a cheerleading squad – meaning that she had no right to stay silent when coaches told her to applaud.

Article: Kansas, Idaho Advance "Pain-Capable" Fetus Bills

This is from a few weeks ago (Mar. 30th), sorry for the delay in posting it.

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Taken from: http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/03/kansas-idaho-advance-pain-capable-fetus-bills

Kansas and Idaho are the latest states to take up bills that would reduce the window of time in which women can obtain an abortion. Last month, we reported that Minnesota lawmakers had introduced a bill that would limit abortions to 20 weeks after conception, based on the (not-scientifically-sound) claim that a fetus can feel pain at that point. That bill was approved in committee, the Minnesota Independent reports, and is expected to advance.

Article - Texas Considers Bill to Ban Almost All Abortions

Taken from: http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/03/texas-moves-ban-abortions-case-rape-incest


From the Texas Independent:

House Bill 2988 by state Rep. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound) would prohibit
abortions from being performed unless a physician determines there is a
substantial risk to the woman's life or a major body function. Parker's bill
comes on the heels of a bill by state Rep. George Lavender (R-Texarkana) banning
abortions except in cases of medical necessity, rape or incest.

Among other things, Parker's bill makes no exception for cases of rape or incest, an exception that's long been considered untouchable even by many pro-lifers. It also explicitly prohibits physicians from considering possible impairments to mental health. A spokesperson for Rep. Parker told Mother Jones that the legislator "does intend to include [exemptions for rape and incest] if it moves through the process." But they're not included in the version that was filed on Thursday because Parker didn't actually write the bill; it was drafted at the behest of the Grass Roots Institute of Texas, an organization founded by conservative activist Bill Burch.

Article - What the Battle Against Reproductive Rights is Really About

Taken from: http://skepchick.org/2011/03/what-the-battle-against-reproductive-rights-is-really-about/


Across the United States, the news from the reproductive rights front hasn’t been that great lately. Between trying to criminalize miscarriage in Georgia to whatever the hell is going on now in South Dakota (I’ve lost track at this point), the legal right of a woman to have a child when she judges is best to is under more simultaneous attacks than it has been in quite some time.

To me, this is glaringly apparent right now in my home state of Ohio. At the beginning of 2011, we learned the newly-elected state legislative body proposed five different bills that limit abortion rights in the first eight days of the session. Five bills. In eight days. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty relieved we’ve cleared out of the way every other political issue Ohio currently faces so that we can devote most of our time and energy to introducing bills that infringe on the rights already guaranteed at the federal level to all U.S. women by Roe v. Wade and have a slim chance of making it to law.

Article - GOP Floats New Version of "No Taxpayer Funding For Abortion" Bill

Assuming I'm correct in remembering where she lives, this one is for Alicia.

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Taken from: http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/02/gop-floats-new-version-no-taxpayer-funding-abortion-bill


House Republicans have dropped some controversial provisions from a bill that would permanently bar federal funding for abortions, but still plan to extend the reach of existing bans to cover tax credits and some deductions, according to a GOP memo [PDF] obtained by Mother Jones on Monday.

The "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act," sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), is designed to ensure that tax dollars do not "pay for, subsidize, encourage, or facilitate abortions," say the sponsors. But abortion rights groups have argued that the law, also known as H.R. 3, would effectively eliminate private insurance coverage for abortions by creating a strong disincentive for employers and individuals to select plans that cover those services. In turn, they argue, many insurers would likely stop offering abortion services in order to avoid losing customers.

Article - GA Law Could Give Death Penalty for Miscarriages

Taken from: http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/02/miscarriage-death-penalty-georgia


It's only February, but this year has been a tough one for women's health and reproductive rights. There's a new bill on the block that may have reached the apex (I hope) of woman-hating craziness. Georgia State Rep. Bobby Franklin—who last year proposed making rape and domestic violence "victims" into "accusers"—has introduced a 10-page bill that would criminalize miscarriages and make abortion in Georgia completely illegal. Both miscarriages and abortions would be potentially punishable by death: any "prenatal murder" in the words of the bill, including "human involvement" in a miscarriage, would be a felony and carry a penalty of life in prison or death. Basically, it's everything an "pro-life" activist could want aside from making all women who've had abortions wear big red "A"s on their chests.

Article - Who's Behind the Bills That Could Legalize Killing Abortion Providers?

Taken from: http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/americans-united-life-justifiable-homicide-bills


First, it was South Dakota. Then Nebraska and Iowa. The similarly worded bills, which have quietly cropped up recently in state legislatures, share a common purpose: To expand justifiable homicide statutes to cover killings committed in the defense of an unborn child. Critics of the bills, including law enforcement officials, warn that these measures could invite violence against abortion providers and possibly provide legal cover to the perpetrators of such crimes.

That these measures have emerged simultaneously in a handful of states is no coincidence. It's part of a campaign orchestrated by a Washington-based anti-abortion group, which has lobbied state lawmakers to introduce legislation that it calls the "Pregnant Woman's Protection Act" [PDF]. Over the past two years, the group, Americans United for Life, has succeeded in passing versions of this bill in Missouri and Oklahoma. But there's a big difference between those bills and the measures floated recently in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa.

Article - Iowa Bill Opens Door For Deadly Use of Force to Protect the Unborn

I'm losing my ability to be surprised anymore. This is so sick and messed up. :(

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Taken from: http://iowaindependent.com/52869/iowa-bills-open-door-for-use-of-deadly-force-to-protect-the-unborn


Two bills sponsored by Iowa House Republicans could have significant public safety consequences, and perhaps the most unnerving of those potential outcomes would be the justifiable use of deadly force against abortion or family planning providers.

When the two pieces of legislation are combined they create a situation where a fertilized egg would be considered a person, and allow for the public execution of those who would threaten such a person.

Article - Nebraska Revives "Justifiable Homicide" Abortion Bill

*sigh*

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Taken from: http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/nebraska-justifiable-homicide-abortion-bill


Just when abortion rights supporters thought they had beaten a controversial bill they believe would legalize the killing of abortion providers, it has cropped up again—this time in a more expansive form that has drawn the concern of law enforcement officials.

Last week, South Dakota's legislature shelved a bill, introduced by Republican state Rep. Phil Jensen, which would have allowed the use of the "justifiable homicide" defense for killings intended to prevent harm to a fetus. Now a nearly identical bill is being considered in neighboring Nebraska, where on Wednesday the state legislature held a hearing on the measure.

Article - GOP: Yes to Contraception for Wild Horses, No for Women

Taken from: http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2011/02/16/votes-contraception-wild-horses-women-0


During a month in which the anti-choice Republican and Tea Party majority in Congress and in many states have made it their priority mission to eliminate access to contraception for women here and abroad, and on the very same day that the House planned to vote to take away birth control for women living in poverty in the US and eliminate funding for international family planning, you will be happy to know that there is at least one group the GOP believes deserves access to contraception.

Wild horses.

Article - GA Legislator Wants to Investigate Miscarriages, Create Uterus Police

Wooow, I don't even know where to start with this. Reproductive rights are going to hell in a handbasket in the US, evidently, or at least in certain states.

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Taken from: http://blogs.babble.com/being-pregnant/2011/02/21/georgia-legislator-wants-to-investigate-miscarriages-create-uterus-police/


First the attack on Planned Parenthood funding and now this: State Rep. Bobby Franklin of Georgia introduced a bill in his state last week that, if enacted, would require proof that a miscarriage occurred naturally. If a woman can’t prove that her miscarriage–or spontaneous abortion–occurred without intervention, she could face felony charges.

Article - South Dakota Moves to Legalize Killing Abortion Providers

Wow... WTF is wrong with parts of the US? :/

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Taken from: http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/south-dakota-hb-1171-legalize-killing-abortion-providers


A law under consideration in South Dakota would expand the definition of "justifiable homicide" to include killings that are intended to prevent harm to a fetus—a move that could make it legal to kill doctors who perform abortions. The Republican-backed legislation, House Bill 1171, has passed out of committee on a nine-to-three party-line vote, and is expected to face a floor vote in the state's GOP-dominated House of Representatives soon.

Article - Utah Bill Criminalizes [Self-Induced] Miscarriages

Taken from: http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/13141

Note: I edited the title because I thought it was misleading to just say "miscarriages", even if that's what it says in the article. Any empahsis in the article is from me.

**PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS ARTICLE IS FROM 2010, AND MAY NO LONGER BE CURRENT IF THE LAW HAS SINCE BEEN REVISED**


Last week, the Utah House and Senate passed a bill that would make it a crime for a woman to have a miscarriage, and would in most instances make induced abortion a crime. The bill still needs the signature of the governor to be signed into law, but already it is causing concern across the United States.

Article - Judge Rules That South Dakota Doctors Must Say Abortion Ends Life

Taken from: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/20/judge-rules-south-dakota-doctors-say-abortion-ends-life/

**PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS ARTICLE IS FROM 2009, AND MAY NO LONGER BE CURRENT IF THE LAW HAS SINCE BEEN REVISED**


SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota -- A federal judge upheld part of a South Dakota law that requires women to be told abortion ends a human life, but struck down disclosures that the procedure increases the likelihood of suicide and that they have an existing relationship with the fetus.

Article - Texas Bill Would Force Woman to See Ultrasound

Taken from: http://www.keyetv.com/content/news/topnews/story.aspx?content_id=20c2b6cc-5c79-495a-adf5-9e05f2528972 [link no longer works]

**PLEASE NOTE THIS ARTICLE IS FROM 2008, AND MAY NO LONGER BE CURRENT IF THE LAW HAS SINCE BEEN REVISED**


Two bills submitted to the Texas Legislature Tuesday would force doctors to show women ultrasounds of their unborn children two hours before they had an abortion.

The identical bills, one submitted to the Texas House, as HB 36, and one to the Senate, as SB 182, were introduced by Rep. Frank Corte Jr., R-San Antonio, and Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, respectively. They outline the changes in procedures doctors would have to go through when a woman opts to abort her child.

Article - Ohio Bill Dictates That Men Should Have Final Say on Abortion

Taken from: http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/22/ohio-bill-men-final-say-abortion/?youvegottobekiddingme

**PLEASE NOTE THIS ARTICLE IS FROM 2009, AND MAY NO LONGER BE CURRENT IF THE LAW HAS SINCE BEEN REVISED.**


State Rep. John Adams (R-OH) has re-introduced radical legislation that would prevent a woman from having an abortion until she gets written consent from the biological father. As proposed, the bill triggers criminal penalties against women for “providing a false biological father.” Adams says the “first-degree misdemeanor” would be punishable with up to “six months” in jail and a “$1,000 fine.”

Article - North Dakota Says Shacking Up Is Now a Sex Crime

Taken from: http://www.local6.com/family/10782557/detail.html [link no longer works]

**PLEASE NOTE THIS ARTICLE IS FROM 2007, AND MAY NOT BE CURRENT ANYMORE IF THE LAW HAS SINCE BEEN REVISED.**


BISMARCK, N.D. -- In North Dakota, a man and woman who live together without being married are committing a sex crime. It's right there in the law, a state senator said, alongside the prohibitions against adultery, incest and indecent exposure.

Article - Women Can't Say No After the Start of Sex

Taken from: http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/10198629/detail.html
[link no longer works]

**PLEASE NOTE THIS ARTICLE IS FROM 2006, AND MAY NOT BE CURRENT ANYMORE IF THE LAW HAS SINCE BEEN REVISED**


ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- An appellate court said Maryland's rape law is clear -- no doesn't mean no when it follows a yes and intercourse has begun.