Reproductive Rights, Women's Health, and Freedom of Choice
Embedded Files
Next Meeting: 10/13/25, 7 PM, Ozark-Dale Library
Focus On the Issues: Women's Reproductive Health, Abortion Denial Versus Pro Choice (Post 2024 Election)
Court greenlights Planned Parenthood defunding
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/12/planned-parenthood-defunding-court
Comment: "The Trump administration can move ahead with plans to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood affiliates, a federal appeals court ruled on Thursday.
"Why it matters: Planned Parenthood previously warned such a move could lead to the closure of hundreds of clinics nationwide."
Comment: "The appeals court didn't provide an explanation for the 3-0 decision."
"The GOP budget law ended Medicaid payments for one year to abortion providers that received more than $800,000 from Medicaid in 2023, without mentioning Planned Parenthood by name."
"But the reproductive health group said the provision took direct aim at its operations, and that patients would likely suffer adverse health consequences if care is disrupted, including an increase in unintended pregnancies and untreated STIs."
Axios: Texas Legislature approves ban on mail-order abortion pills
https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2025/09/04/texas-abortion-pills-ban
Comment: "The Texas Legislature on Wednesday passed a sweeping measure aimed at restricting mail-order abortion medications and allowing private citizens to sue those mailing, delivering or distributing abortion pills to or from Texas."
"Why it matters: Republicans hope the new law shuts down medication abortion in Texas and provides a blueprint for red states in the ongoing battle over abortion access."
"Nearly two-thirds of abortions in the U.S. are via medications."
Comment: "The new legislation would allow anyone to sue manufacturers and people — like doctors, shipping companies and pharmaceutical companies —sending the drugs to Texans."
"The bill also allows successful plaintiffs to be awarded at least $100,000 in damages."
"Those taking the medication to end a pregnancy can't be sued, but Rep. Jeff Leach, a North Texas Republican and author of the House version of the bill, said during House debate that a parent of a pregnant minor could be sued for calling a clinic outside of Texas to inquire about mail-order abortion pills."
Comment: "Doctors in blue states prescribing abortion pills like mifepristone through the mail are protected by shield laws in those states. The Supreme Court could ultimately decide which state law prevails."
Comment: Could making a phone call cost a person $100,000? Has Texas gone Insane? Do Republicans really want to use this law as a blueprint for other states?
Dallas News: Texas Senate approves bill allowing citizens to sue abortion pill providers
The Guardian: Texas threatens to sue organizations and doctor for increasing abortion pill access
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/20/texas-abortion-pills
Appeals court overturns order that stripped some protections from pregnant Texas state workers | AP News
Comment: "A federal appeals court has upheld a law strengthening the rights of pregnant workers, vacating a judge’s earlier order that had stripped those protections from Texas state employees."
"The ruling was a victory for advocates of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a law that passed with bipartisan support in 2022 but quickly became embroiled in controversy over whether it covers workers seeking abortions and fertility treatments."
"A federal judge last year blocked enforcement of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act for Texas state employees, ruling that its passage was unconstitutional because a majority of House members were not physically present to approve the law as part of spending package in December 2022."
"In a 2-1 decision, the Fifth Circuit appeals court disagreed, finding that the law was properly passed under a COVID-19 pandemic-era Congressional rule allowing members to vote by proxy to meet the quorum requirement."
Comment: Does this mean that Texas makes the choice to abort a baby illegal, while at the same time, it removes protections for those female state employees who choose to have their babies?
Texas Senate passes bill targeting makers of abortion-inducing drugs
Comment: "Senate Bill 6, which aims to 'protect unborn children,' passed the Texas Senate on Tuesday."
"SB 6 would prohibit the manufacture, distribution, mailing, transporting, delivery and prescribing of abortion-inducing pills, as well as allow private citizens in Texas to file suit against people or companies that manufacture or distribute abortion-inducing pills in the state. Abortion is already almost totally banned in Texas."
"The bill was filed by Sen. Brian Hughes, R-Tyler. A similar bill passed the Senate during the regular session; however, it died in the House."
Comment: With missing Democrats keeping the Texas House from meeting in special session, drugs like Mifepristone are not yet banned in Texas. Is this yet another reason to keep the Texas House from meeting? Do you think perhaps it is time for the rest of America to start to "Mess with Texas?"
Axios: Supreme Court ruling on patients rights' could devastate Planned Parenthood
https://www.axios.com/2025/06/26/planned-parenthood-scotus-decision-trump
NPR: Supreme Court upholds South Carolina’s ban on Medicaid funds for Planned Parenthood
https://www.npr.org/2025/06/26/nx-s1-5435021/scotus-planned-parenthood
House Democrats reintroduce abortion rights bill on Dobbs anniversary
The Hill: Gender gap on abortion rights hit record high: Gallup
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5340439-gender-gap-on-abortion-rights-hit-record-high-gallup/
The Guardian: Women and men diverge more than ever on support for abortion rights, poll shows
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/09/women-men-abortion-rights-poll
Planned Parenthood provides basic health care. If clinics close, where will many women go?
Comment: "Citing deep funding cuts, at least 200 Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide are at risk."
Nearly 100 House Democrats urge RFK Jr. to restore millions in family planning grants
Comment: "Nearly 100 House Democrats are calling on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to restore tens of millions of dollars in federal family planning grants to more than a dozen organizations that have been frozen for more than two months."
A West Virginia prosecutor is warning women that a miscarriage could lead to criminal charges
https://www.aol.com/west-virginia-prosecutor-warning-women-103024367.html
She Got an Abortion. So A Texas Cop Used 83,000 Cameras to Track Her Down.
Comment: Do you think this is the 'Deep State' that Trump keeps talking about?
Mother Jones: Forget Dobbs—The Personhood Movement Wants Much More
AL.com: Controversial Alabama Supreme Court ruling ignites AG’s race: ‘Without IVF, I wouldn’t be a mother’
Comment: "The Alabama Supreme Court ruling that that temporarily stopped in vitro fertilization services in Alabama last year has emerged as an issue in the race for state attorney general."
"Former Associate Justice Jay Mitchell, who wrote the opinion, resigned from the court Monday and is expected to announce he will run for AG."
"Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey, who announced her candidacy for attorney general in January, has two children by IVF."
Mother Jones: Republicans Snuck Two Devastating Health Care Measures Into Trump’s Megabill
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/05/trump-bill-planned-parenthood-gender-affirming-care/
Comment: "Among them is a plan seeking to defund Planned Parenthood, which the organization warns will affect its ability to provide critical services, including pap smears, cancer screenings, and birth control."
Comment: "The reconciliation bill that was passed now seeks to ban Affordable Care Act health care plans from covering abortion and gender-affirming care for all Medicaid patients, including adults, after initially proposing to ban care for just minors."
AP News: Judge vacates federal rules requiring employers to provide accommodations for abortions
https://apnews.com/article/abortion-workers-pregnancy-civil-rights-eb4bcc821c4932728fcd961757b50552
The Hill: Reproductive-rights groups push against Kennedy’s mifepristone review
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5304436-fda-mifepristone-review-abortion-rights-advocates/
NBC News: How shoddy science is fueling a charge to restrict abortion pill access
Pregnant US woman declared brain dead is being kept alive under state abortion law | Georgia | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/15/pregnant-georgia-woman-brain-dead-abortion-law
A bipartisan group in Texas wants to clarify when doctors can perform abortions : Shots - Health News : NPR
AP News: South Carolina Supreme Court decides heartbeat definition allows six-week abortion ban
The Seattle Times: Missouri lawmakers approve referendum to repeal abortion-rights amendment
The Guardian: RFK Jr orders mifepristone review as anti-abortion groups push for ban
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/14/rfk-jr-fda-abortion-pill-mifepristone
The Guardian: Conservatives are trumpeting a new abortion-pill study. One problem: it’s bogus | Moira Donegan
Comment: "Dr Stella Dantas, the president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, called the paper 'seriously flawed' and said that it 'manipulates data to drive a myth that medication abortion isn’t safe'."
Alabama’s war on abortion help exposed in new reporting
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/05/09/alabamas-war-on-abortion-help-exposed-in-new-reporting/
‘Dismantling one of the strongest tools we have’: Conservatives fret HHS cuts - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/09/hhs-cuts-pregnancy-data-00336938
Josh Hawley Introduces Law To Ban Mailing Of Abortion Pills, Citing Junk Science Report
https://www.yahoo.com/news/josh-hawley-introduces-law-ban-165304492.html
The Trump administration is defending abortion pill access in court. What? | Trump administration | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/06/abortion-pill-trump-administration
Comment: "It may seem a victory to some, but experts worry a win will allow the government to be coy about future attacks"
The 19th News: Missouri’s voters restored abortion rights. Their leaders are trying to overrule them.
https://19thnews.org/2025/05/missouri-abortion-rights-laws-protections/
Alabama Can’t Prosecute Groups Helping Patients Get Abortions Elsewhere, Judge Rules - KFF Health News
The Texas Tribune: Wide-ranging crackdown on abortion pills passes Texas Senate
https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/29/texas-senate-abortion-pill-bill/
The Hill: HHS cuts risk undermining reproductive health services
Clinics begin closing as Trump admin continues freeze on family planning funds - POLITICO
The Salt Lake Tribune: Planned Parenthood closing two Utah clinics after Trump cuts all federal reproductive health funds to state
https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2025/04/22/utah-clinics-close-after-trump/
Catholic employers don't have to accommodate workers' abortions and fertility treatments, judge rules - CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/catholic-employers-workers-abortions-fertility-treatments-judge/
‘We are failing’: doctors and students in the US look to Mexico for basic abortion training | Trump administration | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/09/doctors-mexico-abortion-training
The Hill: Abortion is back at SCOTUS — and this time the case could destroy Medicaid
https://thehill.com/opinion/5235450-medicaid-planned-parenthood-supreme/
Alabama lawmaker files bill to jail women for abortions
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/04/08/alabama-lawmaker-files-bill-to-jail-women-for-abortions/
CNN: Alabama can’t prosecute groups who help women travel to get an abortion, federal judge says
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/01/us/alabama-abortion-groups-ruling/index.html
Supreme Court weighs whether states can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood
https://www.yahoo.com/news/supreme-court-weighs-whether-states-123737563.html
Republicans want to defund Planned Parenthood. They are asking for the Supreme Court's help
https://www.yahoo.com/news/republicans-want-defund-planned-parenthood-080308681.html
Kentucky governor vetoes GOP abortion bill, says it undermines doctors and endangers pregnant women
https://www.yahoo.com/news/kentucky-governor-vetoes-gop-abortion-234605221.html
The Guardian US: Key court hearing as Alabama threatens prosecutions over abortion support
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/05/alabama-court-hearing-abortion
The Hill: How RFK Jr. could restrict abortion medication access
POLITICO: 5th Circuit rebuffs ruling against Planned Parenthood
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/26/5th-circuit-planned-parenthood-abortion-00206327
AL.com: Tuberville celebrates end of ‘immoral’ military abortion policy that led to monthslong promotion stalemate
Column: The population exodus from antiabortion states is underway and may be picking up steam
https://www.yahoo.com/news/column-population-exodus-antiabortion-states-110016016.html
POLITICO: Trump signs anti-abortion policies after speaking to March for Life
CBS News: Abortion bans linked to people moving out of state, study says
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/abortion-ban-laws-linked-to-people-leaving-states-research/
For News Articles links from before the 2024 election that were previously listed here, please go to:
https://sites.google.com/view/demoldnews/home/old-reproductive-rights?authuser=0
There you will find a continuation of the news links & comments from the period prior to the November 2024 election
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse