The nefarious network of state bills trying to kill ‘Roe’ once and for all

By Ray Levy Uyeda
Feb. 22, 2021

Last year, as Maggie, a 30-something Brooklynite, navigated the coronavirus pandemic, she learned that she would have to navigate another, more personal challenge at the same time: getting an abortion. For Maggie (who declined to provide her last name for privacy reasons), finding a compassionate abortion fund to help walk her through her options wasn't difficult, and she could easily pay the out-of-pocket cost for the abortion pill. Her partner of 11 years was supportive of her decision. In the end, accessing her abortion was so easy that it actually reminded her of all the ways politicians attempt to restrict abortion access — and how many other people who might need abortion care live in states where things aren't as smooth as they are in New York.

Continued: https://www.mic.com/p/the-nefarious-network-of-state-bills-trying-to-kill-roe-once-for-all-62348743

Restrictions on Abortion Care Prevent Critical Access For Millions of Women

Despite widespread public support for abortion care, less than half of states would protect abortion rights should Roe v. Wade be reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

1/21/2021
by RAEGAN MCDONALD-MOSLEY

Friday, Jan. 22 marks the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. The day is cause to celebrate 48 years of women having the legal ability to decide for themselves if, when and under what circumstances to have a child. However, access to abortion care remains deeply inequitable.

And without question access to abortion care has increased women’s professional and economic vitality despite pervasive efforts to restrict access to those who need it most.

Continued: https://msmagazine.com/2021/01/21/roe-v-wade-restrictions-on-abortion-care-prevent-critical-access-for-millions-of-women/

21.01.2021

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anti-choice restrictions

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The first abortion case of the Amy Coney Barrett era is now before the Supreme Court

The Court’s new majority has its first chance to take a shot at Roe v. Wade.

By Ian Millhiser
Dec 17, 2020

Last October, the Supreme Court handed down a fairly surprising order in an abortion case.

FDA v. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists concerns whether patients should have an easier time obtaining a pill used in medication abortions while the Covid-19 pandemic is still raging, but the Trump administration saw in the case an opportunity to drastically roll back abortion rights. One of the administration’s arguments could force abortion patients to have unnecessary surgeries instead of receiving a far less invasive medication abortion, and it could potentially deny abortions to many people altogether.

Continued: https://www.vox.com/2020/12/17/22178362/supreme-court-abortion-amy-coney-barrett-fda-american-college-obstetricians-gynecologists

Roe v. Wade Might Be Overturned Soon — This Is Worse Than You Think

MOLLY LONGMAN
OCTOBER 20, 2020

Angel Kai’s* heart sank when she found out she was pregnant again. The 20-year-old had delivered her second child only three months prior. She was on unpaid maternity leave from her job in Amarillo, TX, and she’d just received a $130 electricity bill in the mail that she didn’t know if she’d be able to pay. “Everything that was happening financially was just bad,” she remembers. “I couldn’t have another kid. I knew getting an abortion would be the best thing, because I couldn’t walk up the street to get a soda if I wanted one at the time. We were that tight on money.”

It turned out, though, that Angel couldn’t even afford the abortion she knew she wanted. Her health plan was offered under state-funded Medicaid, which, in Texas, only covers abortion in cases of life endangerment, rape, and incest. So, Angel Googled “abortion financial help.”

Continued: https://www.refinery29.com/en-ca/2020/10/10112297/what-happens-if-roe-v-wade-overturned-state-abortion-laws

20.10.2020

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USA – State Actions Undermining Abortion Rights in 2020

By Nora Ellmann
August 27, 2020

So far in 2020, there have been a number of important wins for abortion rights in the courts. In the U.S. Supreme Court, Louisiana’s unconstitutional admitting privileges law was struck down in June Medical Services v. Russo.1 In the lower courts, a federal district court in Maryland ruled that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration must suspend enforcement of a medically unnecessary restriction on access to medication abortion until 30 days after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.2 Also in Maryland, a district court vacated and enjoined a Trump administration rule that would have required separate insurance payments for abortion care and all other health care for people insured by certain plans under the Affordable Care Act.3 And a district court in Georgia struck down the state’s six-week abortion ban, which would have banned abortion at a point before most people even know they are pregnant.4

Continued: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2020/08/27/489786/state-actions-undermining-abortion-rights-2020/

USA – John Roberts’ Stealth Attack on Abortion Rights Just Paid Off

A federal appeals court will allow Arkansas to create degrading new hurdles for people seeking abortions.

By Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern
Aug 07, 2020

The Supreme Court’s recent decision in June Medical v. Russo was hailed by many liberal court watchers as a win for reproductive rights, as the court declined to overturn Roe v. Wade and formally eliminate the right to an abortion. On Friday, however, a federal appeals court ruled that June Medical significantly narrowed the constitutional right to abortion access. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel swept away an injunction that had blocked Arkansas from enforcing a slew of abortion restrictions, including a requirement that patients pregnant as a result of rape notify their rapists before terminating their pregnancy. The appellate court’s decision confirms that Chief Justice John Roberts’ controlling opinion in June Medical will serve as a tool to eviscerate abortion rights. Those who briefly heralded him as a champion of reproductive freedom were too caught up in the halftime show to see the game.

Continued: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/08/john-roberts-8th-circuit-abortion-rights-arkansas.html

In ‘Personhood,’ Seattle filmmakers document the human cost of giving legal rights to embryos

Aug. 5, 2020
By Megan Burbank, Seattle Times features reporter

“Did you feel they treated you like a person?” The question is posed near the end of the new documentary “Personhood” to Tamara Loertscher, a Wisconsin woman who was imprisoned in 2014 while pregnant after disclosing prior drug use to her doctor; tests showed traces of methamphetamine in her body.

Loertscher and her attorneys have maintained that she stopped using drugs when she found out she was pregnant, but as the case unfolded, her history of drug use and Wisconsin’s “Unborn Child Protection Act” became the state’s justification for giving her fetus more legal rights than she had. Loertscher’s fetus was appointed an attorney; she, initially, was not. When Loertscher refused drug treatment, she was jailed, which effectively cut off the prenatal care she had sought.

Continued: https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/movies/in-personhood-seattle-filmmakers-document-the-human-cost-of-giving-legal-rights-to-embryos/

USA – Despite Supreme Court Win, Abortion Rights Are Still Not Safe

Attacks on reproductive freedom have the greatest effect on communities that already face significant barriers to accessing health care.

Jul 20, 2020
Kirsten Gillibrand

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the implementation of a law that would have left just one clinic and one doctor authorized to perform abortions in Louisiana, a state of more than 4.5 million people and 50,000 square miles.

Even though four justices ignored the Court’s own precedent, the ruling in June Medical Services v. Russo gave reproductive health, rights, and justice supporters across the country the chance to breathe a sigh of relief. But as we began leafing through the pages of the opinions, cracks started to appear, reminding us that our freedom remains up for grabs and our fight is nowhere near over.

Continued: https://rewire.news/article/2020/07/20/despite-supreme-court-win-abortion-rights-are-still-not-safe/

I run a Louisiana abortion clinic. Despite Supreme Court win, I’m nervous for our future.

States have passed hundreds of anti-abortion laws in the last few years. At the Supreme Court, we were successful in striking down just one.

Kathaleen Pittman, Opinion contributor
June 30, 2020

For six years, my lawyers have been fighting a law that would have shut down the abortion clinic I run in Shreveport, Louisiana — Hope Medical Group for Women. On Monday, we won in the U.S. Supreme Court, which struck down the law, meaning we can stay open for our patients. I am relieved that the court saw through Louisiana’s deceitful attempts to shut us down, but I'm still deeply worried.

I wish the relentless attempts by politicians to shut down our clinic would finally stop. I know they won’t.

Continued: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2020/06/30/supreme-court-june-medical-services-abortion-rights-access-column/3283212001/

Celebrate This Abortion Rights Victory. Then Prepare for the Next Attack.

Another abortion rights disaster has been averted, but don’t get complacent: More are on their way

Jessica Valenti
Jun 29, 2020

Remember what good news feels like? The Supreme Court ruled Monday against a Louisiana law mandating abortion providers have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals — a policy that could have closed down all of the state’s few abortion clinics.

Since there are so few bright spots these days, I plan on spending some time basking in the unfamiliar glow of a win — but, as NARAL Pro-Choice America president Ilyse Hogue put it, “Let’s make sure we’re ready for the next attack.”

Continued: https://gen.medium.com/celebrate-this-abortion-rights-victory-then-prepare-for-the-next-attack-84288470456