Power

Afternoon Roundup: Is There Really A “Debate” About the “Protect Life Act”?

The "Protect Life" bill is not a debate; Can an iPhone catch you sinning?; Texas sonogram law moves forward; and Right Wing Watch brings you the men and women taking part in the Planned Parenthood smear and defunding campaign.

The “Protect Life” bill is not a debate; Can an iPhone catch you sinning?; Texas sonogram law moves forward; and Right Wing Watch brings you the men and women taking part in the Planned Parenthood smear and defunding campaign.

  • An update on Texas’ SB 16 (via The American Independent) which mandates sonograms be performed two hours prior to any abortion (though does not force women to view the ultrasound or listen to a detailed description of the fetus, as was originally required): physicians, unsurprisingly, testified that this is a direct intrusion on a doctor-patient relationship. As well, there is no statistical evidence to support that viewing an ultrasound changes the abortion rate, according to the testimony of one Ob-Gyn. As I wrote yesterday, peforming an ultrasound prior to an abortion is already the standard of care so legislating these requirements are intrusive and unnecessary. The article also notes that, as written, many say the bill is confusing and vaguely worded. 
  • Right Wing Watch brings you the men (and women) behind the smear. From one legislator who supported a bill which would “force the state to file murder charges against a woman and her doctor” for a later term abortion to another who served as a spokesman for the virulently anti-choice organization Operation Rescue. As we are all well aware by now, the Live Action video hoax has all been part of a multi-million dollar smear campaign perpetrated against Planned Parenthood and more broadly women’s health access. WIth Rep. Mike Pence’s legislation calling to defund Planned Parenthood and the House calling to completely wipe away this country’s Title X program which provides health care for some of our most vulnerable Americans, a well-coordinated legislative attack is underway.