Roundup: Minnesota Legislature Considers Sex-Selective Abortion Bill

Minnesota legislature considers sex-selective abortion bill; Vitter attempts to strip family planning funds from omnibus; Brownback not gearing up to fight Sebelius confirmation; girl in Brazil undergoes abortion; debunking conservative talking points on parental involvement; Massachusetts Catholic hospital contemplates merger.

Minnesota Legislature Considers Sex-Selective Abortion Bill

A ban on sex-selective abortion is being considered by the Minnesota legislature, the Fort Mill Times reports.  "The
bill creates penalties for doctors who perform the procedure," reports
the Times (how lawmakers would assess which women are having
sex-selective abortions is not made clear. "A
representative of Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota and
South Dakota says the bill would limit choices for women seeking
abortions."

Vitter Attempts to Strip Family Planning Funds from Omnibus

Washington Monthly takes on Sen. David Vitter’s attempts to prevent the disbursement of family planning funding in the ombinus to Planned Parenthood: "So, Vitter wants American women and their families to suffer so he can
score some cheap points, while praying his constituents overlook his
unfortunate hooker habit. The irony of having a philandering
politician, who arranged pay-for-sex schemes from the floor of
Congress, target family planning funding is apparently lost on Vitter altogether."

Brownback Not Gearing Up for Confirmation Fight

At US News & World Report,
Dan Gilgoff points out that Sen. Sam Brownback does not appear to be
readying himself for a fight against Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’s
nomination as HHS Secretary.  He points out that Brownback’s statement on Sebelius’s nomination does not even mention abortion.  On health care reform, all Brownback says is, "Obviously we will have different viewpoints than the Administration on
many issues including health care reform especially given the huge
price tag. We have real concerns about the president’s budget which
includes an additional $634 billion for a health care ‘reserve fund’
which is made up of tax increases and major cuts to programs critical
to Kansas seniors. We look forward to talking with Governor Sebelius
about the details of the president’s plan."

But Brownback’s endorsement hasn’t stopped the American Life League from starting an online petition in opposition to Sebelius.

Girl in Brazil Undergoes Abortion
A nine-year-old girl, an alleged victim of incest, was able to access
an abortion in Brazil, where the procedure is illegal except in cases
of threat to the woman’s life or fetal non-viability, reports the AP.

Fatima Maia, director of the public university hospital where the
abortion was performed, said the 15-week-old pregnancy posed a serious
risk to the 80-pound (36-kilogram) girl.

"She is very small. Her
uterus doesn’t have the ability to hold one, let alone two children,"
Maia told the Jornal do Brasil newspaper.

But Marcio Miranda, a lawyer for the Archdiocese of Olinda and
Recife in northeastern Brazil, said the girl should have carried the
twins to term and had a cesarean section.

"It’s the law of God: Do not kill. We consider this murder," Miranda said in comments reported by O Globo.

 

Debunking Conservative Talking Points on Parental Involvement

The Constitutional Law Professors Blog debunks that beloved chestnut of the anti-choice movement: ‘You want an aspirin, you want to go on a field trip, you need parental
consent to do this. This is the only area, because of the
constitutional struggle, that we come down to where the parent has no
right."  The Constitutional Law Professors Blog responds:

Legislators on these topics (and parents) may wish to believe that a
person’s constitutional rights begin when that person reaches the age
of majority.  This is simply not true.  Minors have a First Amendment right to engage in free speech.  Minors have a Fourth Amendment right to be free of unreasonable searches
on school grounds.  The Supreme Court decided that since minors do
possess Constitutional rights in these areas, it would be unfair and
inconsistent to hold that minors do not have a right to privacy under
the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.


Massachusetts Catholic Hospital Contemplates Merger

The Caritas Christi Health Care Network in Massachusetts may merge with
a secular health care provider called Centene Corp., which offers
"confidential family planning services," the Boston Globe reports

Yesterday, Caritas responded [to Catholic opposition] by saying it is only considering the
partnership with Centene Corp. Contracts with healthcare providers
would be negotiated by Centene, not the archdiocese, Caritas said, and
Caritas hospitals will make up only six of the 39 hospitals and 66
health centers providing services under the plan. The statement also
makes clear that Caritas hospitals will not provide abortion services,
saying that "at all times and in all cases" Caritas will follow
Catholic moral teaching, as well as a set of ethical guidelines for
Catholic hospitals issued by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops."

 

Other News to Note
March 4: CM-Life: Students walk out of King’s abortion speech: Many surprised by event billed as diversity presentation

March 3: LifeSiteNews: Abortion Worker Arrested, Jailed In Death Of Baby Born Alive During Botched Abortion

March 4: American Spectator: Sebelius and Kmiec Catholicism

March 4: Southern Appeal: Bold Tactical Move By Catholic Left

March 4: California Catholic Daily: Third
time a charm? Nurses at Catholic hospital in Fresno must decide again
whether pro-abortion union will represent them after judge annuls vote
last year rejecting California Nurses Association

March 3: Citizen Sugar:  Octomom Bill would Limit Number of Embryo Implants

March 4: Town Hall: Sebelius’ Abortion Camouflage

March 4: Washington Times: BAUER/ALLOTT: Abortion ascendance

March 4: Feminist News Wire: Senator Vitter Introduces Appropriations Amendment to Strip Title X Funds  

March 4: Women’s Health News: Black Women’s Health Imperative on Obama’s Plans for the HHS “Conscience” Rule

March 4: Riverfront Times: Pro-Life Group Recruits "Ice T" in Battle With Mo. Secretary of State

March 4: Life News: Casey, Catholic Democrat, Defends Vote for International Abortion Funding

March 4: Tempo Interactive: Ambassadors of Oral Contraception

March 4: USNWR: Is Your Depo-Provera Causing Weight Gain?

March 4: AP: The Senate gave initial approval to a measure (Senate Bill 225) that would add a definition of contraception to state law.

March 4: GMA News: Indonesian robbers steal condoms, cash

March 4: Huffpo: American Idol — The Most Fertile Show on Television

March 4: Postpartum progress: How To Decide Whether To Take Meds for Depression or Anxiety During Pregnancy

March 4: New West: Idle
Hands the Devil’s Playground in Idaho Legislature: With budgeting on
hold, legislators are submitting ‘social issues’ bills that otherwise
might not have been considered this year

March 4: The Berkshire Eagle: DA’s office raises awareness about ‘sexting’