President Donald Trump will attend the March for Life in Washington, D.C., Friday, making him the first U.S. president to do so.
Read the full storyPresident Trump to be First President in History to Speak in Person at the March for Life
Tag: abortion
Thousands Gather at Minnesota Capitol for Annual March for Life
Thousands of Minnesotans gathered on the steps of the State Capitol Wednesday afternoon for the annual March for Life.
Read the full storyCommentary: President Trump Is Preserving Religious Freedom for Future Generations
President Trump’s unwavering defense of religious liberty and the sanctity of human life, as well as his recognition of the value of America’s Christian heritage, are why I’m a charter member of the Evangelicals for Trump coalition that was just launched in Miami.
Read the full storyCincinnati’s Last Abortion Clinic Is in Peril
Cincinnati may soon have its only abortion clinic closed by state regulators for not following a law requiring facilities to have an agreement with nearby hospitals to send patients to if an emergency occurs.
Read the full storyNew Planned Parenthood Report Shows Increase in Abortions
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America aborted 345,672 babies during the 2018 fiscal year, the organization’s annual report shows.
Read the full storyPoll Finds 67 Percent of White Evangelicals Stand Firmly Against Abortion
A majority of white evangelicals strongly supports restrictions on abortion, a national poll released Thursday shows.
Read the full storyCollin Peterson Joins Republicans in Asking Supreme Court to ‘Reconsider’ Roe v. Wade
All three of Minnesota’s Republican members of Congress along with Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN-07) joined more than 200 of their colleagues in asking the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday to “reconsider” Roe v. Wade.
Read the full story2019 Was a Banner Year for the Pro-Life Movement
Pro-life lawmakers and advocates passed a tidal wave of pro-life legislation in 2019, the same year in which President Donald Trump cut down taxpayer funding for family planning clinics across the nation.
Read the full storyCommentary: Bloomberg Isn’t a ‘Moderate’ on Abortion, Religious Liberty and Guns
As soon as former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg entered the race for President as a “moderate” Democrat he began to abandon any pretense of being a moderate, even going so far as to disavow his one apparent success; continuing his predecessor Rudy Giuliani’s stop and frisk crime prevention program.
Read the full storyPennsylvania Gov Vetoes Bill That Would Have Protected Babies With Down Syndrome From Abortion
Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed a bill Thursday that would have protected unborn babies with down syndrome from abortion.
Read the full storyMore Than Two-Thirds of Americans Support State Safeguards on Abortions, Poll Shows
More than two-thirds of Americans support the ability of states to safeguard abortion practices, according to a national poll released Tuesday.
Read the full storyState Lawmaker Calls a Miscarriage ‘Just Some Mess On A Napkin’ as She Scoffs at Bill Protecting Bodies of Aborted Babies
Democratic Pennsylvania state Rep. Wendy Ullman bashed a bill protecting the bodies of aborted babies Tuesday, calling an early miscarriage “just some mess on a napkin.”
Read the full storyFederal Judge Temporarily Blocks Alabama Abortion Ban
A federal judge temporarily blocked the passage of Alabama’s abortion ban Tuesday.
Read the full storyPlanned Parenthood Advocacy Groups Announce Largest Political Effort to Date, Pushing Millions of Dollars Behind Candidates
Planned Parenthood advocacy groups announced their largest political campaign effort to date Wednesday, a plan to push millions of dollars behind candidates in upcoming elections.
Read the full storyOver 2,000 Fetal Remains Found on Late Abortion Doctor’s Property, Sheriff’s Office Says
Family members discovered 2,246 medically preserved fetal remains on the property of an abortion doctor who passed away on Sept. 3, authorities said Friday.
Read the full storyButtigieg Draws on Bible, Suggests Unborn Babies Can Be Aborted Up Until Their First Breath
Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg suggested Friday that unborn babies can be aborted up until they draw their first breath, saying parts of the Bible mention “how life begins with breath.”
Read the full storyBernie Sanders Says Abortion Will Help Fight Climate Change
2020 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said he supports abortion, in part, as a way to curb human population in light of climate change.
Read the full storyWashington Withdraws From Title X Rather Than Comply With Trump Abortion Rules
Washington state withdrew Thursday from the federal family funding program Title X rather than comply with new rules imposed by the Trump administration.
Read the full storyGOP Lawmakers Ask for Docs on Potential Misuse of Taxpayer Money Related to Abortion Services, Referrals
Lawmakers are asking for the reports on AmeriCorps’ potential misuse of taxpayer money related to abortion services and referrals, as well as building renovations, a letter from ranking members on the House Oversight Committee reveals.
Read the full storyCongressman Scalise Says DC Liberals Are Actively Preventing Voting on Protections for Born Alive Babies
Republican Rep. Steve Scalise said Monday that Washington, D.C., liberals are actively preventing lawmakers from voting on protections for babies born alive in botched abortions.
Read the full storyMajority Supports Requiring Doctors to Care for Babies Born Alive in Botched Abortions, Poll Shows
The vast majority of likely voters support requiring doctors to provide medical care for babies who are born alive during botched abortions, according to a poll released Monday.
Read the full storyJC Bowman Commentary: Union Politics Hurt Public Education
Union politics often hurt public education and educators with an agenda that many parents and taxpayers are baffled by, and members are left to explain.
Read the full storyTrump Administration Ends Federally Funded Abortion Referrals
by Mary Margaret Olohan The Trump administration declared Monday that taxpayer-funded clinics must stop referring women for abortions effective immediately. Family planning clinics that refer women for abortions will be stripped of their Title X funding, according to a measure instigated by President Donald Trump’s administration as reported by CBS News. The Department of Health and Human Services has alerted clinics that they will be enforcing the Trump administration ban, according to CBS. The rules now require that organizations that perform abortions and make abortion referrals will have to do so in separate buildings from those that receive Title X federal funds – a move could potentially cost Planned Parenthood “tens of millions of federal family planning dollars,” according to Politico. “Our doors are still open,” said Planned Parenthood President Leana Wen in a statement. “We will not stop fighting for all those across the country in need of essential care.” “We thank President Trump and Secretary Azar for acting decisively to stop taxpayer funding of the abortion industry, as willed by the American people,” said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “A strong majority of Americans have consistently voiced their opposition to taxpayer funding of abortion –…
Read the full storyFormer Obama Adviser Warns: Voters Are Not Aligned with 2020 Dems on Abortion
by Mary Margaret Olohan A faith adviser to former President Barack Obama warned that 2020 Democratic candidates campaigning for “abortion on demand” are underestimating American voters’ “more nuanced” views on abortion. Michael Wear, who served on both Obama’s presidential campaigns and in the White House as part of the former president’s “faith based initiative,” according to the New York Times, wrote in a Saturday op-ed that Democratic candidates’ hard line on abortion may alineate American voters who hold “more nuanced” understandings of abortion. Wear warns that Americans do not view abortion as a matter of moral clarity, as Democratic 2020 presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand recently said, but as “an issue of great moral complexity that our politics has not settled satisfactorily.” Citing both former Vice President Joe Biden’s and Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s comments on abortion at the Democratic debates in June, Wear said that “the 2020 Democratic candidates are out of step with American voters, even Democratic voters, on the issue of abortion.” “According to some progressives, Democrats need to learn from Mr. Trump’s style of politics and name enemies, draw harder lines and callously stoke the animosities that roil Americans’ lives for partisan advantage,” Wear wrote, adding that this “emulation”…
Read the full story‘Rogue’ Oklahoma Judge Upholds Law Banning Abortion Method
by Mary Margaret Olohan An Oklahoma judge upheld a law Friday banning a common abortion method for second-trimester abortions. Oklahoma County District Judge Cindy Truong upheld a 2015 Oklahoma law banning the dilation and evacuation method, CBS News reported. The law will go into effect as soon as courts issue a final order. The Center for Reproductive Rights challenged the law, according to the outlet. The dilation and evacuation method is considered the “standard of care,” according to Center for Reproductive Rights Litigation Director Julie Rikelman. Rikelman said the organization plans to immediately appeal the ruling to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. “There really is no other standard method of care for women at that point in their pregnancy,” Rikelman told CBS News Friday. “It really puts doctors and women in an impossible situation.” The dilation and evacuation procedure is used for second-trimester abortions when women are between 13 and 24 weeks pregnant. Dilation and evacuation involve pulling apart the limbs of an unborn baby in order to allow the limbs to be extracted from the womb. Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter, a Republican, weighed in on the matter Friday. “It is unconscionable to think that we would allow this…
Read the full storyCommentary: For Liberal CEOs, Abortion Is Good for Business
by Doreen Denny As more states pass restrictions on abortion, companies are coming out of the woodwork to oppose them. Recently, some 180 companies “employing more than 108,000 workers” purchased a full-page ad in The New York Times under the banner “Don’t Ban Equality: It’s time for companies to stand up for reproductive health care.” Translation: It’s time for businesses to defend abortion. Many of these companies aren’t typically considered far-left organizations. Exactly what message are they sending to women by spending ad dollars to promote abortion? Are they saying babies are bad for business? A closer look at these companies may help to unmask what’s driving this ad. It turns out that only two of them are listed among the top 180 companies offering the most paid maternity leave to women, according to Fairygodboss, a women’s career advancement network. And those two companies are nowhere near the top of the list. In other words, these companies are stingy. They aren’t supporting women; they’re protecting their bottom line. The fact is that parental leave imposes a cost on these companies. The disruptions of time off (even earned) for doctor’s appointments, managing morning sickness, and staying healthy during pregnancy are…
Read the full storyBoth Parties Seek to Delay Abortion Lawsuit in Ohio
by Tyler Arnold In a joint filing, both sides of the Ohio abortion lawsuit have requested that the U.S. district court delay information gathering until after a similar case in Kentucky is settled. Both Kentucky and Ohio passed legislation to prohibit abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which can be as early as five and a half weeks into the pregnancy. After a lawsuit was brought by abortion rights advocates, a federal court struck down Kentucky’s legislation. The state has appealed the ruling. A district court has also blocked some of the Ohio law from going into effect. The government cannot charge doctors under this legislation until the judge issues a ruling. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed this legislation in April. Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin signed his state’s legislation back in March. Under the Ohio law, a doctor who conducts an abortion after the fetal heartbeat could face up to a year in prison with a fifth degree felony. The State Medical Board could also take further disciplinary action, which could include up to $20,000 in fines. Although there is no rape or incest exception, the bill does provide an exception if the mother’s life is at…
Read the full storyBlackburn Joins Other Pro-Life Senators in Introducing Bill to Halt Use of Taxpayer Dollars in Funding Abortion Services
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined several colleagues to introduce the Protecting Life and Taxpayers Act to halt the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortion services. “Sixty percent of Americans oppose their tax dollars being used to fund abortions,” Blackburn said in a press release. “We should honor their wishes by ending the use of public funds. The pro-life community should not be forced to directly or indirectly fund this abhorrent practice.” Co-sponsors are U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS). The House version is H.R. 833, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-04). The Protecting Life and Taxpayers Act is supported by the Susan B. Anthony List. In January, Blackburn introduced her first bill in the Senate, The Tennessee Star reported. That bill – S. 105, the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act – would strips all abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, of federal funding under Title X of the Public Health Service Act. Of the Protecting Life and Taxpayers Act, Cramer said, “Abortion providers do not deserve taxpayer subsidies. While current law prohibits federal funds from being used for abortions, companies like Planned Parenthood still receive millions of…
Read the full storyJudge Rules to Keep Last Abortion Clinic in Missouri Temporarily Open
by Mary Margaret Olohan A judge ruled Friday to keep the last abortion clinic in Missouri open temporarily despite the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services’ refusal to renew the clinic’s license earlier in the day. Hours before State Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer extended his preliminary injunction to keep the clinic open temporarily, DHSS refused to renew the St. Louis abortion clinic’s license, according to NBC News. “Today is a victory for women to be able to access the kind of medical care that they and their health professionals need and deserve,” said M’Evie Mead, who heads policy and organizing at Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri, according to NBC. “It is still very, very difficult to access abortion in Missouri because of medically unnecessary hoops and regulations, but you can still come to Planned Parenthood today for all of your reproductive health care,” Mead added. “And that is a good day for women.” Planned Parenthood President Leana Wen has said if the Missouri clinic closes down, Missouri could be the only state in the United States since 1974 without an abortion clinic. “BREAKING: Today, Missouri’s health department weaponized a regulatory process to deny an abortion license to the…
Read the full storyRhode Island Legalizes Abortion Up Until Birth
by Mary Margaret Olohan The governor of Rhode Island signed a bill Wednesday protecting abortion access within the state and repealing pro-life laws. Rhode Island Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo signed the bill, HB 5125, after it passed through the House and Senate, calling it an “important, consequential bill,” according to The Associated Press. The bill passed the Senate 21 to 17 and passed the House 45 to 29. “Fundamentally this bill is about health care,” Raimondo said, according to the publication. “It’s about protecting and providing access to health care for all the women of Rhode Island.” The Reproductive Privacy Act says that Rhode Island will not restrict a mother’s right to obtain an abortion before the baby is able to survive outside of the womb. The bill also says Rhode Island will allow abortions after fetal viability if the mother’s health is at risk, effectively allowing abortion up until birth. The bill also repeals several chapters of Rhode Island General Laws on abortion that charge doctors with murder and jail time for inducing miscarriages and declare dying admissions of women who die during abortion procedures to be used as evidence in homicides. Lawmakers intend for the bill to…
Read the full storyCourt Rules In Favor of Title X And Abortion Restrictions in Major Win for Trump Admin
by Mary Margaret Olohan An appeals court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration can ban taxpayer-funded abortion clinics from performing abortions or making abortion referrals. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Trump administration can bar clinics from performing abortions or making abortion referrals, according to Politico. For the first time in history, the new Title X regulations will allow federal funding to go to faith-based clinics that promote natural family planning or abstinence-only methods. The rule will allow the Trump administration to strip federal funding of any clinic that fails to comply with the new Title X regulations. The move will potentially cost Planned Parenthood “tens of millions of federal family planning dollars,” according to the publication. “Absent a stay, HHS will be forced to allow taxpayer dollars to be spent in a manner that it has concluded violates the law, as well as the Government’s important policy interest in ensuring that taxpayer dollars do not go to fund or subsidize abortions,” the panel of three Republican-appointed judges wrote in a 3-0 opinion. Politico reports that this is a “major blow” for the abortion industry, and Planned Parenthood President Leana Wen called the ruling “unethical,…
Read the full storyCommentary: Bible Verses Now ‘Unsafe’ on Social Media
by CHQ Staff Our friend James O’Keefe and his team at Project Veritas have obtained a massive “Sensitive Terms List” from a Pinterest insider, which revealed the social media giant manipulates search results for “Bible verses,” “Christian Easter,” and other Christian terms. The terms on the list are marked as “brand unsafe.” What this means is such terms are removed from auto-complete, trending, recommended, etc. thus depressing the page views and connections of individuals whose posts include those terms. The communications obtained from an industry whistleblower show media giant Pinterest also labeled pro-life activist organization ‘Live Action’ under its “pornography” category; claiming the group was distributing “misinformation related to conspiracies and anti-vaccination advice.” The documents, which include product code, Slack messages, and internal policies, reveal terms and websites that Pinterest apparently censors. In an interview with Project Veritas, the Pinterest insider who leaked the documents explained how the company censors pro-life and Christian content on the website. “I was pretty surprised,” said the Pinterest insider in an interview, when s/he discovered that pro-life group LiveAction.org was added to a “porn domain block list.” The insider explained that the “block list” was intended to be a collection of pornographic websites…
Read the full storySix Things to Know About the Hyde Amendment
by Rachel del Guidice Former Vice President Joe Biden came out Thursday against the Hyde Amendment, after previously supporting it. “If I believe health care is a right, as I do, I can no longer support an amendment that makes that right dependent on someone’s ZIP code,” Biden said at a gala hosted by the Democratic National Committee in Atlanta. For decades, Congress has kept taxpayer funds from paying for abortions due to the leadership of an Illinois congressman. Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., was behind the amendment, first passed in 1976, that prohibits use of federal funds for most elective abortions. Melanie Israel, a research associate in the DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Signal in an email that the Hyde Amendment is one of the most significant legacies of the pro-life movement. “One of the pro-life movement’s first victories following the Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions in 1973, which effectively legalized abortion-on-demand across the country, came about thanks to Congressman Henry Hyde of Illinois in 1976,” Israel said. “He championed an amendment to the annual [Health and Human Services] appropriations bill which prohibited the department from expending…
Read the full storyIn Reversal, Biden Opposes Ban on Federal Money for Abortion
After two days of intense criticism, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden reversed course Thursday and declared that he no longer supports a long-standing congressional ban on using federal health care money to pay for abortions. “If I believe health care is a right, as I do, I can no longer support an amendment” that makes it harder for some women to access care, Biden said at a Democratic Party fundraiser in Atlanta. The former vice president’s reversal on the Hyde Amendment came after rivals and women’s rights groups blasted him for affirming through campaign aides that he still supported the decades-old budget provision. The dynamics had been certain to flare again at Democrats’ first primary debate in three weeks. Centrist risks Biden didn’t mention this week’s attacks, saying his decision was about health care, not politics. Yet the circumstances highlight the risks for a 76-year-old former vice president who’s running as more of a centrist in a party where some skeptical activists openly question whether he can be the party standard-bearer in 2020. And Biden’s explanation tacitly repeated his critics’ arguments that the Hyde Amendment is another abortion barrier that disproportionately affects poor women and women of color. “I’ve…
Read the full storyCommentary: Death and the Democrats
by Sebastian Gorka Our nation is unique. Most every other nation was established in a capricious fashion. Whether defined by an ethnicity, a linguistic community, or the happenstance of being ruled by a royal dynastic elite, other countries were not the result of their people appealing to first principles, of building a political structure from scratch based upon the lessons of prior centuries. Ours is different. Yes, our Republic was born out of war, as has been the case with so many others over the centuries. But our Revolutionary War wasn’t simply waged over a brute demand for self-determination. The catalyst for the fight that would result in our being an independent nation-state was the grievous transgressions of a monarch who our Founding Fathers saw as acting in direct contravention to objective and universal truths. After our unlikely victory against what was then the most powerful empire the world had ever seen, our forefathers enshrined those truths into our founding documents. And the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution have served not only to codify those principles as the foundation of our political system for at least 11 generations, they have become a beacon for hundreds of millions of…
Read the full storyBooker Says The Hyde Amendment Is ‘an Assault on African-American Women’
by Mary Margaret Olohan Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker said Thursday that the Hyde Amendment is an “assault on African American women.” The Democratic 2020 presidential hopeful spoke at the Democratic National Committee African-American Leadership Summit in Atlanta, Georgia against the Hyde Amendment, which bans the use of federal funding for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or if the mother’s life is in danger. Left-wing activists claim the amendment disproportionately affects low-income women and women of color. “This assault on women’s reproductive rights is an assault on women, but it’s particularly an assault on African-American women,” Booker said, according to a tweet from CNN’s DJ Judd. “And the Hyde Amendment, to deny people through Medicaid and Medicare abortion rights, that is an assault on African American women too.” Speaking at the DNC African American Leadership Summit in Atlanta, Senator Cory Booker calls the Hyde Amendment “an assault on African American women.” Booker goes on to pledge to “create in the White House an office of reproductive rights.” pic.twitter.com/PtXy0sr0fX — DJ Judd (@DJJudd) June 6, 2019 Booker also tweeted his support of the amendment on Wednesday. “The Hyde Amendment is a threat to reproductive rights that punishes…
Read the full storyCommentary: Disney and Netflix Go All-In for Corporate Fascism Over Georgia’s Pro-Life Laws
by George Rasley A few weeks ago, we explained the new phenomenon of corporate totalitarianism where corporations campaign against their customers and betray their shareholders in pursuit of Left-wing political goals. Now, with their announcements that they are boycotting Georgia and Alabama over their adoption of pro-life legislation, it appears that media giants Disney and Netflix have become the latest members of the league of corporate totalitarians. According to CNN Business, Netflix and Disney have said they will join WarnerMedia in a boycott of Georgia if the state’s new abortion law takes effect. The state became a hub for entertainment industry production, in part because of generous tax breaks Georgia offers filmmakers and producers. But the companies are prepared to betray their fiduciary obligations to shareholders and give up those tax incentives and leave the state in pursuit of the Left’s morally bankrupt abortion agenda. Reporting for CNN Business, Brian Stelter and Shannon Liao claim prominent celebrities and some production companies have vowed to boycott Georgia as a result of the state’s pro-life legislation. But, say Stelter and Liao, the deep pockets of Netflix and Disney “mean the companies have louder voices.” Citing the concerns of the predominantly liberal-leaning stars and producers…
Read the full storyNational Public Radio Style Guide: Do Not Use ‘Pro-Life’
As states such as Georgia and Alabama recently passed Fetal Heartbeat Bills, National Public Radio (NPR) issued a “Guidance Reminder: On Abortion Procedures, Terminology & Rights,” which specifically states, do not use ‘pro-life’ in copy except when used in the name of a group. The Guidance Reminder was issued by NPR’s Mark Memmott, the organization’s Standards & Practices Editor on May 15, which first thanked all those involved for following long-standing guidance very well during the recent coverage of the new “abortion law” in Georgia and legislation in Alabama. On the surface, NPR has strict guidance in the impartiality section of its Ethics Handbook, which applies to NPR employees both inside and outside of the newsroom. NPR employees are restricted from publicly expressing political opinions which includes not putting bumper stickers on cars, putting political signs in their yards, signing political petitions, donating money to candidates, endorsing candidates, advocating, running for office, endorsing candidates other otherwise engaging in politics in a participatory or activist manner. The expectation of impartiality is also extended to NPR employees on social media. The handbook section titled “Impartiality in our journalism,” is further explained in the Ethics Handbook: “fair, accurate and impartial reporting being…
Read the full storyMissouri Abortion Clinic to Stay Open for Now After Court Order
Reuters Missouri’s only abortion clinic will stay open at least a few more days after a judge on Friday granted a request by Planned Parenthood for a temporary restraining order, allowing the facility to keep operating until a hearing on Tuesday. Planned Parenthood sued Missouri this week after state health officials said the license for Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood in St. Louis was in jeopardy, meaning the clinic could have closed at midnight unless the judge granted the request for a temporary restraining order. “Today is a victory for women across Missouri, but this fight is far from over,” Planned Parenthood President Leana Wen said in a statement after Circuit Court Judge Michael Stelzer agreed to the organization’s request. Representatives for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services could not immediately be reached for comment. Health officials had refused to renew the clinic’s license because they said, they were unable to interview seven of its physicians over “potential deficient practices,” according to documents filed in a St. Louis court. The legal battle in St. Louis comes a week after Missouri Governor Mike Parson, a Republican, signed a bill banning abortion beginning in the eighth week of…
Read the full storyLousiana House Overwhelmingly Passes Fetal Heartbeat Ban – Dem Gov Expected to Sign
by Mary Margaret Olohan The Louisiana House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday banning abortions after the child’s heartbeat can be detected. The bill overwhelmingly passed the Louisiana House of Representative with a vote of 79-23 and would “prohibit the abortion of an unborn human being with a detectable heartbeat,” according to CNN. The House rejected an amendment to the bill Wednesday that would have made an exception for abortions in cases of rape or incest, NBC reports. The Louisiana Senate also approved the bill and added amendments requiring ultrasounds and making an exception for “medically futile” pregnancies. Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, who has described himself as a “pro-life candidate” has said he will sign the bill into law. However, the ban will only go into effect if the Mississippi heartbeat bill passes the federal appeals court. Obama appointed Judge Carlton Reeves blocked the Mississippi abortion bill Friday. “As I prepare to sign this bill, I call on the overwhelming bipartisan majority of legislators who voted for it to join me in continuing to build a better Louisiana that cares for the least among us and provides more opportunity for everyone,” Edwards said in a statement on Wednesday…
Read the full storyCommentary: Justice Clarence Thomas Is the Moral Center of the Supreme Court
by George Rasley Is it possible to construct a lasting and healthy society upon a legal foundation that not only protects but encourages infanticide, a deep and profoundly immoral act? We do not believe it is, and the door opened by Roe v. Wade has led American society into a darkness that can only end in the eugenic and racist nightmare of the Nazi Third Reich and other cultures that have allowed humans to be culled like livestock or killed when they become inconvenient. The battle lines in this great moral debate were set out in stark terms by Justices Clarence Thomas and Ruth Bader Ginsberg in the Supreme Court’s recent holding in Box v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky. As the writers for The Economist explained, Box concerns Indiana’s HEA 1337, which Mike Pence, now the vice-president, signed into law in 2016 when he was governor of the state. In a Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruling last year, two of the law’s provisions were deemed unconstitutional: a requirement that fetal remains from abortions be buried or cremated; and a bar on abortions motivated solely by the fetus’s race, sex or diagnosed disability such as Down syndrome.…
Read the full storyFar-Left Group ‘Gender Justice’ Sues Minnesota to Further Loosen Abortion Restrictions
As the nation sees many states make laws restricting abortion, a lawsuit in Minnesota tries to do the exact opposite. Gender Justice and the Lawyering Project filed a lawsuit on behalf of abortion rights advocates in the Ramsey County District Court where the plaintiffs are targeting laws which they deem restrictive. The lawsuit is targeting certain laws such as requiring a 24-hour waiting period and letting parents of patients under 18 known of the procedure. In addition, the lawsuit wants to eliminate the law requiring fetal remains to be cremated or buried. “Minnesota abortion laws are not only outdated, but they are harmful. Far too often they prevent people from getting the care they need when they need it,” Gender Justice Executive Director Megan J. Peterson said. Peterson went on to add that these laws serve no medical purpose and reflected “outdated, patriarchal views of women.” The lawsuit cites the 1995 Doe v. Gomez case, where the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled the state’s constitution allows for abortions in Minnesota and the right to decide to have an abortion without government interference. “We know too well that women and people who can get pregnant can never be equal in society…
Read the full storyUS Supreme Court Upholds Indiana Abortion Law on Fetal Remains
The Supreme Court is upholding an Indiana law that requires abortion providers to dispose of aborted fetuses in the same way as human remains. But the justices are staying out of the debate over a broader, blocked provision that would prevent a woman in Indiana from having an abortion based on gender, race or disability. The court split 7-2 in allowing Indiana to enforce the fetal remains measure that had been blocked by a federal appeals court. The justices said in an unsigned opinion that the case does not involve limits on abortion rights. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor dissented. Ginsburg said in a short opinion that she believes that the issue does implicate a woman’s right to an abortion “without undue interference from the state.” The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago had blocked both provisions of a law signed by Vice President Mike Pence in 2016 when he was Indiana’s governor. The court’s action Tuesday keeps it out of an election-year review of the Indiana law amid a flurry of new state laws that go the very heart of abortion rights. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey this month signed a law that would ban…
Read the full storyJudge Stops Mississippi Abortion Law: ‘Smacks of Defiance’
by Mary Margaret Olohan Judge Carlton Reeves issued a preliminary injunction stopping the passage of a Mississippi abortion law Friday banning the procedure after a heartbeat can be detected. Reeves, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, reportedly expressed frustration Tuesday over the bill’s lack of exceptions in cases of incest and rape, reported CNN. He said the bill “threatens immediate harm to women’s rights, especially considering most women do not seek abortion services until after 6 weeks,” according to The Hill. “This injury outweighs any interest the state might have in banning abortions after the detection of a fetal heartbeat,” he wrote. The judge said the bill banning abortions after a heartbeat can be detected “smacks of defiance,” according to The Hill. Reeves also stopped the passage of a 15-week abortion ban in 2018. The move comes as Missouri, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama and Ohio enacted restrictive abortion legislation in the past year. Georgia and Alabama passed restrictive abortion legislation in 2019. Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a “fetal heartbeat bill” in March that will go into effect Jan. 1, 2020, banning most abortions in Georgia after a fetal heartbeat is detected. The bill makes exceptions in…
Read the full storyPlanned Parenthood and ACLU File Federal Lawsuit Against Alabama Abortion Legislation
by Mary Margaret Olohan The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Alabama and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America filed a lawsuit Friday morning against restrictive Alabama abortion legislation signed in May. The ACLU groups and Planned Parenthood filed the lawsuit “on behalf of Alabama abortion providers” in the United States District Court of the Middle District of Alabama, according to a press release provided by the ACLU. Plaintiffs represented in the case include Alabama Women’s Center, Reproductive Health Services, West Alabama Women’s Center, and Planned Parenthood Southeast. The lawsuit references the abortion legislation passed in Alabama signed by Republican Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey. The governor signed H.B. 314 into law May 15, a near-total ban on abortions that makes no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. The law, which will take effect in six months, will be the most restrictive abortion law in the United States. Doctors who violate H.B. 314 will face a Class C felony, which is punishable by a minimum of 10 years in jail and a maximum of 99 years. The ACLU claims in its press release that it has never lost in challenges to abortion restriction in Alabama. “The Alabama…
Read the full storyOhio’s Presidential Hopeful Tim Ryan Wants to Overturn the Hyde Amendment
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) believes the Hyde Amendment, which prevents federal funding from going to abortions, should be overturned. This amendment has exceptions for when the mother’s health is in jeopardy or in cases of rape and incest. “Of course we’ve got to fund Planned Parenthood, we’ve got to get rid of the Hyde Amendment, we’ve got to make sure we invest into women’s health care. ” Ryan told MSNBC’s “Live With Stephanie Ruhle” on Wednesday. Ryan told Rule how important elections are in getting anti-abortion laws struck down. “But the reality is we’ve got to win elections … we now have the federal courts peppered with conservative pro-life justices. The Supreme Court is a conservative pro-life court. We’ve got to start moving in the right direction here politically and getting elected so that we appoint the judges and we win elections in these states.” These pro-abortion comments came a day after the presidential candidate spoke at a pro-abortion rally on the steps of the Supreme Court. Ryan asked protesters outside the Supreme Court when legislators were going to “give a sh– about the baby once it’s born.” Also at the rally, the Ohio representative shared how he flipped…
Read the full storyOhio Cities Partake in Pro-Abortion ‘Stop the Bans’ Protests
Pro-abortion activists across the country organized “Stop the Bans” rallies on Tuesday, several of which occurred in Ohio. In Columbus, protesters lined the streets outside of Gov. Mike DeWine’s office, chanting: “Keep abortions safe and legal!” Several protesting outside the governor’s office for the ‘Stop the Ban’ protest pic.twitter.com/kda5faqQpl — Alexis Moberger (@alexis_moberger) May 21, 2019 The crowd later made its way to the Ohio Statehouse, where not too long ago a controversial “heartbeat bill” threw Ohio into the national conversation surrounding abortion. Crowd continues to grow! Protest has now moved to the statehouse. Dozens here to protest against Ohio’s heartbeat bill. Similar abortion protests happening in several cities across the country pic.twitter.com/pQPBw8RbS3 — Alexis Moberger (@alexis_moberger) May 21, 2019 “It’s really important that women have the freedom to choose what to do with their own bodies,” one protester told ABC 6. “I hope that Governor DeWine is paying attention to this because women are his constituents too and he can’t ignore us.” In Dayton, protesters gathered outside of a Premier Health clinic, which has apparently refused to sign a transfer agreement with a nearby abortion clinic. “We are here today because so far Premier Health has refused to…
Read the full storyTwo Ohio Congressmen Cosponsor Bill to End Tax Deductions for Abortions
Two Republican members of Ohio’s congressional delegation have signed on as cosponsors of a bill that would end tax deductions for abortions. The IRS currently allows residents to deduct medical and dental expenses from their taxes if they exceed 7.5 percent of a person’s adjusted gross income. Legal abortions and birth control pills are both treated as tax-deductible expenses, but a bill introduced by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) seeks to change that. His bill, H.R. 2742, would amend the federal tax code to “provide that amounts paid for an abortion are not taken into account for purposes of the deduction for medical expenses.” The bill currently has 22 Republican cosponsors, including Reps. Bob Gibbs (R-OH-07) (pictured, right) and Bob Latta (R-OH-05) (pictured, left). “The ending of a human life should not be a part of a taxpayer’s money-saving strategy when they file their taxes each April,” Latta said in a press release. “I’m proud to support legislation to remove financial incentives for abortions, and will continue to work with the pro-life caucus to end all federal funding streams for them.” Biggs, in a statement provided to The Daily Signal, said that the “Abortion Is Not Health Care Act” is…
Read the full storyPro-Life Group Claims Instagram Is Shadow Banning It, Suspects Pro-Choice Activists Played a Role
by Chris White A pro-life group believes pro-choice activists likely pressured Instagram into suppressing and removing the group’s content and hashtags from the platform’s most popular feature. Let Them Live’s Instagram’s posts stopped appearing on numerous hashtags starting on April 18, the group claimed in a May 15 press statement posted to its Instagram page. The group, which has 15,000 Instagram followers, brought its case directly to the company on April 25 as the group’s engagement rate sagged. Instagram never responded, according to the group’s executive director, Nathan Berning. The group’s content was removed from hashtags and Instagram’s Explore, a feature on the platform displaying the most-liked content at the time of a person’s visit. Content on the feature is different for each Instagram user and comprises posts liked by people, posts from accounts similar to those a person follows,and posts with high engagement. Groups often use Explore to help their content go viral. Berning speculates that pro-choice activists played a role. “We really do believe that that is what is happening,” Berning told The Daily Caller News Foundation, referring to what he believes is an activist-led attempt to suppress Let Them Live’s content. Berning claims his group leveraged…
Read the full storyThe Supreme Court Is Deciding These Abortion Cases Right Now
by Kevin Daley Alabama GOP Gov. Kay Ivey approved a package of sweeping abortion regulations Wednesday, teeing up a legal fight over Roe v. Wade some believe may reach the Supreme Court. Whether the Alabama law will even reach the Supreme Court on the merits is an open question, though there are two abortion controversies from Indiana and Louisiana on which the justices may act in the coming months. Mandatory ultrasounds, disposal regulations for fetal remains, and bans on trait-selective abortion Vice President Mike Pence signed a battery of abortion regulations into law during his tenure as governor of Indiana. Those mandates require women to have an ultrasound 18 hours before terminating a pregnancy, compel medical professionals to cremate or bury fetal remains, and ban abortions on the basis of sex, race, or disability. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against all three regulations over two different decisions. The first case touched the disposal mandate and the trait-selective abortion ban, which supporters refer to as an anti-eugenics law. A three-judge panel unanimously struck down the trait-selective ban and found against the disposal rules 2-1. The full 7th Circuit elected to review the panel ruling in June 2018,…
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