ELECTION 2012: The battle for women's rights, Part 2 - Reproductive Health

Recap and Update to Part 1

Part 1 addressed two key bills in Congress: Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act, H.R. 3541 (PRENDA). The latter was defeated in the House (246-168) on Thursday, May 31. Even though 246 representatives voted in favor of the bill, it failed to get the two-thirds majority needed under suspension of the rules that brought it to the House floor. 

Republicans, of course, made the talk shows to feign outrage that the bill failed.

At some point, it's useful to have a longer discussion about the real "war on baby girls", but let's leave it at this for the moment:

"Girls and women wouldn't need so much sanctimonious and hypocritical "protecting" if they had cultural equality and human dignity." 

The two pieces of legislation (above) are far from the only bills Congress has taken up as part of the war on women. And clearly VAWA is a pro-woman, pro victim's rights law that has already been reauthorized twice before extremist GOP lawmakers halted it by refusing to include commonsense provisions that protect Native populations, LGBTQ individuals, and immigrant women. Apparently these women don't bleed or bruise.

There is also the Paycheck Fairness Act which was blocked by GOP extremist lawmakers on Tuesday, 6/5. The bill needed 60 votes to pass; it received 52. All 47 Republicans - including five women - voted against it. The Chamber of Commerce and other corporate interests say it would create “unprecedented government control over how employees are paid at even the nation’s smallest employers."

Any wagers on how they feel about "unprecedented government control" over women's reproductive health and choices? 

Part 2: Overview of State Anti-Choice Laws in 2012 

2011 and 2012 may set a record for the number of anti-choice, anti-abortion bills introduced and passed in State legislatures.

"In the first three months of 2012, legislators in 45 of the 46 legislatures that have convened this year introduced 944 provisions related to reproductive health and rights." 

The good news - little as there is - points to a drop in both the number of bills introduced so far this year, compared to last year, and those that have been enacted. But, the year is only half over and legislatures in 28 states are currently in session.

As of June 1, extremist lawmakers in 11 states have passed 28 anti-choice bills that range from banning abortions after 18 and 20 weeks, expanding or authorizing pre-abortion counseling and waiting periods, prohibiting the use of "telemedicine" to prescribe medication abortion, and limiting Medicaid coverage of abortions.

These laws are just part of the story, however. Our very own U.S. Taliban extremist lawmakers are using other ways to thwart contraception and abortion. 

Such measures include requiring abortion providers to have hospital privileges at nearby hospitals (instead of a wider acceptance of privileges at any hospital), and limiting to OB/GYNs those that can perform abortions; enacting abstinence only sex education, repealing requirements for contraception education, broadening religious exemptions for providing contraception and abortion coverage, excluding family planning organizations from state funding, and prohibiting states from contracting with abortion providers for family planning services.

One of the most breathtaking is the fetal homicide law. It specifies that a fetus of any gestation (including an embryo) may be a victim of homicide and was passed by Tennessee lawmakers. 

State by State

Alaska: Authorizes the creation of "Choose Life" license plates, proceeds from which go to support adoption services in the state; limits Medicaid funding for abortions for low-income women.

Arizona: Requires providers to have hosptial privileges; targets regulatation of abortion clinics; restricts abortion after 18 weeks; enacts state-mandated counseling; authorizes the use of outdated FDA protocols for medication abortion; eliminates disclosure by doctors if birth defects would lead to abortion; authorizes state-mandated ultrasound.

Indiana: Eliminates coverage for contraceptive devices from family planning authorization/funds.

Maryland: Limits public funding of abortion for low-income women.

Mississippi: Requires providers to have hosptial privileges; mandates surgical and medication abortion to be done only by physician (OB/GYN, other).

Oklahoma: enacts state-mandated counseling requirement.

South Dakota: Women must be told about negative consequences of abortion - no requirement for scientific/medical accuracy; bans abortion coverage in new state health insurance exchanges authorized by ACA; enacts state-mandated counseling requirement.

Tennessee: prohibits telemedicine for medication abortions; mandates abstinence-only sex education requirement; passes Fetal Homicide bill that specifies 'embryo' as victim of homicide.

Utah: Enacts state-mandated counseling requirement and mandatory waiting period.

Virginia: Enacts state-mandated counseling requirement and mandatory waiting period; state-mandated ultrasound prior to abortion.

Wisconsin: bans abortion coverage in new state health insurance exchanges authorized by ACA; enacts state-mandated counseling requirement; prohibits telemedicine for medication abortions; requires surgical and medication abortion to be done only by physician (OB/GYN, other); removes contraceptive education from sex education provisions.