Quick News Roundup: 08/19/10
Domestic News: It’s official – in Nebraska, the Attorney General will not fight to defend the recent pro-life legislation requiring mental health screenings prior to abortions. That has not discouraged supporters too much – who are already rewriting the legislation and resubmitting it so that it will be able to withstand more judicial scrutiny. In Louisiana, the courts have put a hold on recently passed legislation requiring an ultrasound prior to an abortion. The judicial order blocking parts of the legislation also allow abortionists to not supply patients with printed information required by the new law. Next Tuesday, Alaskan voters will be deciding on parental notification for those under 18 receiving an abortion. Ballot Measure 2 would require parental notification for minors if they seek an abortion. In 2007, a similar measure was passed by the legislature but was deemed unconstitutional by the State Supreme Court.
International News: In the Phillipines, a US based group is lobbying to change their abortion laws. Currently, the way the law is worded, abortions are outright banned with no exceptions in the Phillipines. On this matter and other international law issues, the World Health Organization said, “Access to safe, legal abortion is a fundamental right of women.” As reported here earlier, a new ad in the United Kingdom was causing quite a stir. Why? It was promoting abortion services. Well the thousands of complaints sent to government advertising watchdogs were recently rejected and the ad is allowed to stand. The overall complaints of ad are summarized by the AP as follows:
Viewers complained that it was offensive because it promoted abortion, offended their religious beliefs, did not take into account the views of fathers, was sexist for implying that pregnancy was solely a woman’s responsibility and equated decisions about the procedure to choices about consumer goods.
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