Hi everyone!

I have found information on abortion laws that are in progress and that is law in different states.

National Conference of State Legislation (This includes laws on parental consent for different states)

Guttmacher Institute

A wonderful woman who's looked up all the prospective legislation that has not quite been passed yet as of April 4th

This just gives everyone an idea of what's been going on.

Spread the links and the information

Wow South Dakota, wow...

In an article from Mother Jones and shared through the Huffington Post, people in South Dakota want to change their defintion of "justifiable homicide" so that it includes "killings to prevent harm to a fetus". That means doctors that perform abortions would be threatened.
'
The bill would alter "the state's legal definition of justifiable homicide by adding language stating that a homicide is permissible if committed by a person "while resisting an attempt to harm" that person's unborn child or the unborn child of that person's spouse, partner, parent, or child. If the bill passes, it could in theory allow a woman's father, mother, son, daughter, or husband to kill anyone who tried to provide that woman an abortion—even if she wanted one. "

How can you make a bill that allows someone to kill someone while they are not breaking any laws. How can a bill allow anyone to kill anyone else. Isn't murder illegal in South Dakota?

In another article from the Huffington Post where the person who suggested the bill says that "the bill is being misinterpreted". The wording has been changed to self defense.

"When I asked Jensen what the purpose of the law was, if its target isn't abortion providers, he provided the following example:

"Say an ex-boyfriend who happens to be father of a baby doesn't want to pay child support for the next 18 years, and he beats on his ex-girfriend's abdomen in trying to abort her baby. If she did kill him, it would be justified. She is resisting an effort to murder her unborn child."

Is there a localized outbreak of women having their abdomens beaten by people who want to avoid paying child support? Is it not already a crime in South Dakota to beat on your ex-girlfriend's abdomen? And is it not yet permissible in South Dakota to defend oneself, with deadly force if necessary, against the threat of immediate harm to your person? (Maybe South Dakota is simply lagging behind on legal protections for ex-girlfriends.)"

~Ashley

40 Days of Life is back in Champaign peacefully keeping 24hr vigil on the Planned Parenthood in the community. Here is a link to the 40 days for life web page for Champagin. They spend the 40 days, today September 23rd through November 1st, protesting the work of our Planned Parenthood in this comunity. Here is their statement of peace that every member must sign before participating in this event.

1. I will only pursue peaceful solutions to the violence of abortion when volunteering with the 40 Days for Life campaign
2. I will show compassion and reflect Christ’s love to all Planned Parenthood employees, volunteers, and customers
3. I understand that acting in a violent or harmful manner immediately and completely disassociates me from the 40 Days for Life campaign
4. I am in no way associated with Planned Parenthood or its affiliates by way of employment, informant, volunteer, client, or otherwise

While standing in the city right of way in front of or near Planned Parenthood:

1. I will not obstruct the driveways or sidewalk while standing in the public right of way
2. I will not litter on the public right of way
3. I will closely attend to any children I bring to the prayer vigil
4. I will not threaten, physically contact, or verbally abuse Planned Parenthood employees, volunteers, or customers
5. I will not vandalize private property
6. I will cooperate with local city authorities

I'm happy that they're peaceful. That's all fine and dandy, but what about twisting the facts? There is a 40 minute video on the homepage of the link I posted on here, and it makes me upset. I've listened to it all and heard how things are changed ever so slightly.

They call Planned Parenthood an abortion chain. They don't talk about the maternity care, the family planning, the sexual health care that is provided by Planned Parenthood to women who sometimes can't afford it at sliding scale prices. 40 days state that 1.2 million abortions happen each year, and that in 2007, 289,750 happened in Planned Parenthood's across the country. 24% of the abortions happened at Planned Parenthood. I understand that this is a large number, but it's not close to the majority. Are you protesting at the wrong place? Maybe the statics of 1.2 million abortions a year is a bit off? They say that 50 million abortions have happened since Roe v. Wade was passed. Could we have supported 50 million more people in this country?

In this video, pregnant women are equated to women with young children that have fallen off of a boat and into a turbulent ocean, that are struggling to survive. Young women are faced with this horrible tragedy, they get pregnant, and that her family will immediately tell her that she must get an abortion and that her boyfriend has abandoned her, leaving her alone with this burden, and that it's 40 days of life that must reach out to her and save her.

Perhaps it's having the child during a time when she is unable to support it that the women needs to be saved from. Maybe it is losing her job because she's pregnant, because she can't do physical labor under her condition. Maybe she was raped, and she will forever remember her horrid experience. Maybe she just can't do it. Maybe she has to be saved from pregnancy... Maybe it's her choice.

I know of an unmarried woman who got pregnant, many years ago, and the father wanted nothing to do with the child. She didn't have a steady job, she didn't have any savings, she wasn't prepared to for a child. But she made a choice. She decided to keep the baby and, with her families support, she gave birth to a baby girl.

This is my mom's story, and the baby was me. I wanted to tell this story because I wanted to say that she had a choice. She had a supportive family that cared for her and supported her decisions. She had friends that helped and cared about her. She made the choice that was hers to make. It's not the scenario that 40 days portrays in their video.

Planned Parenthood is there to help women make the right choices that are the ones for them. They are not there to promote abortions, they are their to promote choices. There are procedures put into place so that the mother has time to think about what she wants to do before she makes a decision on abortion. It's not black and white. Planned Parenthood isn't the evil thing they describe on the video.

I'm not against people who are pro-life. That is their choice and I respect the choices they make for themselves. But remember that it is a choice that everyone has to make for themselves, and we must be respectful of the choices others make. There is not a right and a wrong choice, only that there are choices.

Ashley

I found this article from Abortion Gang, and I think it's something every woman (and every man) should read. We've all seen the images pro-lifers hand out of tiny, adorable babies being stabbed in the head with scissors or something like that. This article lays out what ACTUALLY happens during an abortion (in plain English).

This was not a particularly easy read for me (I don't mean because there were big words). The author thinks none of this sounds scary, but to me it all sounded pretty scary (but then, so does pregnancy). I think that, even if you never get an abortion yourself, you should read this so you can support the women in your life who may.

~Mandy

I'm baffled! Why did we never hear about this?! Maybe I don't want to know why...

Here's the story from feministing.com

If you're following the news about President Obama's Supreme Court nomination (Elana Kagan), you have probably found out that there isn't a lot to find out about her. It seems that no one either celebrated or dreaded her nomination. Of course there's the usual gossip, she's a woman who was nominated by a black president, so she's sure to destroy this country. Other than that, all anyone seems to know is: she's a woman (automatic 10 points), she is evidently gifted at bringing liberals and conservatives closer together on issues (is this even possible?), and she was never a judge but still seems about as qualified for this position as a person could be. As for the burning question on my mind, her stance on abortion, there seems to be little to no information about her. I can't decide if I'm worried or not. Read more here in an article from Choice USA.

~Mandy

Finally, some good news to keep our heads up despite all the depressing ultra-conservative abortion legislation. The abortion restriction bill in Georgia died in their House of Representatives. Read about it here! There is hope that if a bill is THIS ridiculous, then someone will call it out! Just a small sigh of relief, though.

~Mandy

So now doctors in Oklahoma are protected against law suits for lying about a fetus' health in order to prevent the possibility of the woman terminating the fetus because of its health!

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/04/28/carr.abortion.oklahoma/index.html

I know I probably shouldn't put opinions on here but this is sickening and wrong, the one person you're suppose to depend on for your health and your baby's health is allowed to lie to you and all they have to say is I thought they might choose to have an abortion. It keeps the woman/family from planning for the future. What if continuing the pregnancy would kill the mother? The doctor doesn't have a right to decide who's life is more important. Where do we draw the line of allowing lying now? I'm disgusted.

~Gretchen

Nebraska is the first state to limit the time a women can receive an abortion based on a theory of when a fetus can feel pain. The law would ban any abortions at or after 20 weeks, except for extreme cases. The original law set the restriction on the ability for the fetus to live outside the womb, which was on average determined to be about 22 weeks. Read more here!

"If some of these other anti-abortion bills have been chipping away at Roe v. Wade, this takes an ax to it"

~Ashley

The Arizona governor "has just signed another regressive bill that could severely restrict women’s access to abortion coverage."Read more here!

~Mandy

CNN posted this story, 10-Year-Old's Pregnanacy Fuels Mexican Abortion Debate. Though it is definitely a sad and controversial story, it gives a snapshot of how abortion is being viewed in Mexico as well as their laws pertaining to abortion.
~Mandy