Belgium could criminalise abortion protest

Belgium could criminalise abortion protest

by Michael Cook
23 Feb 2020

Once again, the Belgian parliament is debating abortion – not whether to decriminalise it, for that happened in 1990, but whether to criminalise protests against it.

A new bill would relax existing restrictions by allowing abortions up to 18 weeks (from 12 weeks), removing all penalties for women who do not comply with the law, and shortening a mandatory cooling-off period from six to two days.

Continued: https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/belgium-could-criminalise-abortion-protest/13337


USA – State Policy Trends 2019: A Wave of Abortion Bans, But Some States Are Fighting Back

State Policy Trends 2019: A Wave of Abortion Bans, But Some States Are Fighting Back

Elizabeth Nash, Guttmacher Institute
Lizamarie Mohammed, Guttmacher Institute
Olivia Cappello, Guttmacher Institute
Sophia Naide, Guttmacher Institute
First published online: December 10, 2019

In 2019, conservative state legislators raced to enact an unprecedented wave of bans on all, most or some abortions, and by the end of the year, 25 new abortion bans had been signed into law, primarily in the South and Midwest. Along with this new strategy, legislators also continued their efforts to adopt other types of abortion restrictions, including requirements for abortion providers to give patients misleading and inaccurate information about the potential to reverse a medication abortion as part of abortion counseling.

Continued: https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2019/12/state-policy-trends-2019-wave-abortion-bans-some-states-are-fighting-back


USA – States Lead the Way in Promoting Coverage of Abortion in Medicaid and Private Insurance

States Lead the Way in Promoting Coverage of Abortion in Medicaid and Private Insurance

Adam Sonfield, Guttmacher Institute
Elizabeth Nash, Guttmacher Institute
First published online: June 24, 2019

Advocates and policymakers working to ensure that everyone can afford an abortion scored a number of important victories within just a few days of each other: On June 13, Maine Gov. Janet Mills signed a law expanding abortion coverage in private insurance and Medicaid. Just one day earlier, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker had signed a law expanding private insurance coverage of abortion as part of a broader abortion rights law. The same week, New York City allocated $250,000 to a nonprofit abortion fund to directly assist patients, including patients traveling from other states.

This burst of action builds on a nationwide push to overturn the Hyde Amendment, which currently bans abortion coverage under Medicaid and other federal health coverage programs. Expanding coverage will help people overcome one substantial barrier to abortion—the cost of abortion services—and will be particularly important for people with low incomes, people of color and people with disabilities.

Continued: https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2019/06/states-lead-way-promoting-coverage-abortion-medicaid-and-private-insurance


USA – These states are strengthening abortion laws even as others dismantle them

These states are strengthening abortion laws even as others dismantle them

By Tami Luhby, CNN
Sat June 22, 2019

Washington (CNN)The red-state drive to ban or severely limit access to abortion this year has sparked the opposite reaction in Democratic-led states, where lawmakers are cementing abortion rights and making it more accessible.

Driving the moves on both sides is the rightward shift of the US Supreme Court, which is fanning fears on the left that the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion legal in the US could be gutted or overturned altogether.

Continued: https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/22/politics/abortion-laws-blue-state-red-state-divide/index.html


USA – Following in the footsteps of New York state, Illinois, Vermont, Maine, and Nevada have all passed more liberal abortion laws

USA – Following in the footsteps of New York state, Illinois, Vermont, Maine, and Nevada have all passed more liberal abortion laws

by International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion
June 19, 2019

Everyone is reporting that aggressive anti-abortion restrictions have been passed in numerous US states, especially in recent months. Less reported is the good news that, following the positive changes in the law in New York state, which we reported earlier this year, New York City officials announced on 14 June that they would allocate $250,000 to pay for low-income patients to have abortions. Moreover, four other US states have also liberalised their laws this year. In fact, about a quarter of the provisions to expand abortion access since 2011 have passed in the past three weeks alone, according to an analysis by FiveThirtyEight. Thus, a different kind of civil war has begun in the USA between stations.

Continued: http://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/usa-following-in-the-footsteps-of-new-york-state-illinois-vermont-maine-and-nevada-have-all-passed-more-liberal-abortion-laws/


USA – Here are the 5 things to watch for next in the abortion debate

Here are the 5 things to watch for next in the abortion debate
Most legislatures in antiabortion states are out for the summer. But bills are still being debated by lawmakers and challenged in the courts.

Caroline Kitchener
June 10, 2019

Since January, when most state legislatures convened for their first session since Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court, there has been a flurry of far-right abortion legislation. Nine states have passed bills narrowing the time period in which women can legally access abortion. Alabama has effectively banned abortion altogether. (The bills have not yet taken effect, and many have already been challenged in court.)

While a handful of states stay in session year-round, most state legislatures have adjourned for the year. That means there probably won’t be much more antiabortion legislation passed in 2019.

Continued: https://www.thelily.com/here-are-the-5-things-to-watch-for-next-in-the-abortion-debate/