The Good, the Bad and the Entertaining…

News roundup: Support the Freedom of Choice Act; Mexico City legalizes early abortion; North Dakota bans abortion; and Planned Parenthood's media Maggie Awards.

First, take action: April 25th is National Call-In Day to support the Freedom of Choice Act (H.R.1964/S.1173). Call your members of Congress at 202-224-3121 or send a message to urge them to support this important and proactive bill.

Secondly, some good news: Yesterday the Mexico City legislature approved a bill to legalize abortion during the first three months of pregnancy. We'll have more on this soon—stay tuned.

And now, the bad news: North Dakota passed an abortion ban on Monday that would go into effect if the courts deem such a law constitutional. From The Bismarck Tribune:

Under the bill, the only abortions allowed would be those to protect the life of the mother or in cases or rape and incest.

Also known as a "trigger law", it's just waiting for Roe to become completely weakened (Mississippi was the first state to pass similar legislation)… I don't need to tell you that we've started down that road with the Supreme Court ruling last week. (Feel free to express your outrage over at the Wall of Protest.)

Finally, a bit of good entertainment: Today Planned Parenthood announces the 2007 media Maggie Awards, which recognize exceptional achievement by the media in support of reproductive rights and health care issues. This year's winners are the following:

  • Cosmopolitan, "Your Gyno Exam: What to Know Before You Go"
  • Glamour, "New Lies About Women's Health"
  • New York Daily News, three columns by Lenore Skenazy
  • KTVK-TV – Phoenix, Arizona, "Sex Education Varies in Arizona's Schools" by Brandy Aguilar, producer