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☆ U.S. abortion rights groups and law firms launch legal defense network
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Gabriella Borter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 22 (Reuters) - Major abortion rights organizations and private law firms have teamed up to provide legal counsel to patients and providers navigating the complicated patchwork of U.S. abortion laws, the groups said on Wednesday. The Supreme Court's June 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, a nearly 50-year-old precedent that established federal abortion rights, has resulted in a dozen states banning abortion almost entirely. The group's launch comes a day after 20 Democratic governors announced they had formed an alliance to protect abortion rights and access within their states. Abortion rights supporters have been largely dissatisfied with the Democratic-led administration's response to the elimination of abortion access in large swaths of the country. Abortion providers and those supporting abortion patients can seek counsel through the network, while patients will be referred to a helpline already run by If/When/How, one of the network's advocacy partners.

☆ Virginia blocks a bill that would have stopped police from viewing period app data, raising fears it could be used to prosecute abortions
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Virginia bill that would have prohibited police search warrants on menstrual cycle data was shelved. Glenn Youngkin announced his opposition to the bill this week, resulting in it being tabled. The White House has warned women against using period-tracking apps, citing privacy concerns. Around a third of menstruating adults use period-tracking apps, according to a 2019 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Abortion rights activists have raised alarm at the idea that period-tracking apps could be used to prosecute abortion-law violations, following the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year.

The exact contours of the Democrats' majority is in flux after Senator Kyrsten Sinema switched her party affiliation from Democrat to independent. But either she caucuses with Democrats and gives the party a 51-49 majority or she does not, leaving Democrats with a 50-49 edge. But in a 50-50 Senate where Democrats and Republicans had an even number of seats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, several civil rights lawyers and nominees supported by progressive advocates stalled with deadlocked votes. And in a 50-50 Senate, occasionally Vice President Kamala Harris was needed to cast a tie-breaking vote. Assuming they are renominated, their path to confirmation could be smoothed, as the Judiciary Committee under Durbin's leadership will now have a majority of Democrats.

☆ Lawsuit against doctor who defied Texas' abortion law is dismissed
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

SAN ANTONIO — Lawyers for a doctor who intentionally defied a Texas abortion law that the lawyers called a “bounty-hunting scheme” say a court has dismissed a test of whether members of the public can sue providers who violate the restrictions for at least $10,000 in damages. Dr. Alan Braid published an opinion piece in the Washington Post last year revealing that he intentionally violated the Texas law shortly after it took effect in September 2021. The dismissal was announced from the bench, and no formal written opinion had been published as of Friday morning. He has said that he wasn’t aware he could claim at least $10,000 in damages if he won his lawsuit, and that if he had received any money, he likely would have donated it to an abortion rights group or to the patients of the doctor he sued. Braid has closed his clinics in Texas and Oklahoma, where abortion is also outlawed.

☆ The pro-choice movement is jubilant after the midterms turned the anti-abortion tide
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The midterms proved that voters want to defend abortion access. Smith told Insider that, like many others, while she eagerly awaited the midterm results, the young man popped into her head. Timmaraju told Insider that they'd shifted resources over the summer into getting out the vote. "I think the moral of the story is young voters and women voters saved the day, saved Democrats." Melissa Fowler, the chief program officer of the National Abortion Federation, told Insider that, "Now the country has heard loud and clear that people support abortion access.

Voters in states from across the political spectrum chose to enshrine abortion rights on Tuesday, a major victory for reproductive rights advocates in the first national election since the fall of Roe v. Wade in June. While the amendment’s defeat will not change whether Kentucky residents have abortion access if the state Supreme Court continues to allow a ban that is currently being challenged, abortion rights advocates were thrilled by voters’ support. Meanwhile, voters in two Democratic states, California and Vermont, chose to officially protect abortion rights in their constitutions. Democrats said they care most about abortion rights, while Republicans said their biggest concern was inflation, according to the poll. “Until there’s a new federal right, state constitutions are really the best avenue to ensure reproductive rights and abortion rights in any given state,” she said.

☆ Michigan headlines night of state abortion rights victories
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Gabriella Borter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Michigan voters passed a constitutional amendment known as Proposal 3 that enshrines the right to an abortion by nearly 55%, according to Edison Research. The victories for abortion rights suggested that voters of all political stripes are balking at the severe abortion restrictions that several Republican-led states have enforced since the U.S. Supreme Court gutted federal abortion rights in June. The outcomes of the ballot questions, particularly in a swing state like Michigan, could set the stage for future state campaigns to proactively reinstate abortion rights. The mood was jovial as the "yes" votes on the Michigan amendment outpaced "no" votes across the state. Michigan Reproductive Freedom For All, a coalition of reproductive rights and progressive groups, led the petition to get the amendment on the ballot.

☆ Proposal 3: Michigan voters will decide on a constitutional right to abortion
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Michigan's Proposal 3 would make pregnancy decisions a state constitutional right. Proponents say that the measure will protect abortion access and medical staff who perform abortions. Currently, Michigan's restrictions on abortion access include parental consent for minors and waiting periods for abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Supporters say the constitutional amendment is necessary to affirm the right to abortion and nullify a 1931 state law that completely bans abortions and threatens abortion providers with up to 15 years of imprisonment. They oppose the proposal because it would cancel out laws on the books that restrict abortions, including parental consent laws.

☆ Opinion | Abortion Is Legal in Ethiopia. But Half of These Clinics Won’t Provide Them.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Anu Kumar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

When Congress passed the Helms Amendment, only six of those countries allowed abortion in circumstances beyond saving a woman’s life. And every year, more than 16,000 of the women and girls who have received these unsafe abortions die from more serious complications. President Biden also has the power to mitigate some of the harms of the Helms Amendment. His administration could also ensure that clinics in countries where abortion is legal understand that U.S. rules allow them to offer abortion information and counseling. The Helms Amendment is an act of international interference and overreach, and it has to end.

☆ Elizabeth Banks Thinks This Interview Is Dangerous for Her
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +21 min

I don’t know where, but people are seeing it. I don’t know what they thought that movie was meant to be marketing-wise, but it was a little gem for us. He basically said, Pay me or I’m going to tell your wife. Let’s do another one.” Ray said, “OK, what do you want me to do differently?” The director said: “I don’t know. I don’t know that there’s any way to communicate that to you.

Circuit Court of Appeals, told the Senate Judiciary Committee in her confirmation hearing in Washington that she would follow the June ruling despite having fought to preserve abortion rights. read more"Dobbs is now the law of the land, and I will follow it, as I will follow all Supreme Court precedents," Rikelman said, referring to the Supreme Court case by its name, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Democrats are seeking to highlight Republican opposition to abortion rights ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections in which control of Congress is at stake. The conservative-majority Supreme Court overturned its landmark 1973 ruling Roe v. Wade that had legalized abortion nationwide. But Rikelman said her personal views do not matter because as a lower court judge, she would be bound by U.S. Supreme Court precedent, including its decision in the Dobbs case, which she promised to "absolutely" follow.

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