Lawsuit Filed To Block Anti-Abortion Ballot Initiative in Missouri

Mary Hickey, a St. Louis woman that is represented by lawyers for Planned Parenthood in Missouri, filed a lawsuit earlier this month seeking to prevent a petition drive to place an anti-abortion initiative on the November 2008 Missouri ballot.

The lawsuit argues that if enacted, the initiative would “render virtually all abortions unlawful," and thus violate a woman's constitutional right to obtain abortion care.

The initiative’s sponsor is the Elliot Institute, an out-of-state organization based in Springfield, IL. In 2006, the same organization unsuccessfully tried to put a proposal against stem-cell research on Missouri’s ballot.

Buffer zone challenged in Pittsburgh

A U.S. District Court heard arguments this week challenging a Pittsburgh, PA abortion clinic buffer zone ordinance containing two provisions: a 15-foot buffer zone around entrances to health care facilities, and an 8-foot personal bubble zone to prohibit protestors from approaching patients and health care workers.

Mary Kathryn Brown filed the lawsuit claiming that the requirements violate her rights of free speech and religious freedom.

NAF knows from the experience in Pittsburgh and other areas of the country that creating or expanding buffer zones around health care facilities can lead to a decrease in violence and harassment, thereby ensuring the safety of patients and staff.

Ohio House Passes Ultrasound Bill

Wednesday the Ohio General Assembly approved a bill, which would require doctors to offer women seeking abortion care the option to view an ultrasound image of the fetus prior to the procedure. While a woman should have the option to view such an image, legislation mandating policies around ultrasounds is yet another intrusion by lawmakers into the doctor-patient relationship.

The measure passed the House with no debate and will be taken up by the Senate once they reconvene in January.

NAF's Statement on the Arson of the Office of Curtis Boyd, MD, in Albuquerque, NM

On Friday, we released the following statement in response to the arson of the Office of Curtis Boyd, MD, in Albuquerque, NM on Thursday night:

As the professional association of abortion providers, National Abortion Federation (NAF) is extremely concerned about protecting our members from violence. NAF has been tracking incidents of violence and disruption since 1977. In that time, there have been seven murders, 17 attempted murders, 41 bombings, 100 butyric acid attacks, 656 anthrax threats, and 175 arsons including this most recent incident in New Mexico.

We hope that the suspect(s) responsible for this crime will be swiftly apprehended and convicted. The visible prosecution and conviction of anti-abortion criminals who engage in violence have led to a decrease in major acts of violence against abortion providers in recent years. However, last night’s arson is a reminder that we must remain vigilant in protecting women's access to reproductive health care and the safety of the dedicated health care professionals who provide that care.

>Read the full statement.

Britain’s Department of Health May Allow Private Doctors to Provide Medical Abortion Care

Britain’s Department of Health confirmed this week that they are conducting trials to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of providing early medical abortion care in private doctors’ offices.

Under current regulations, abortions can only be provided at National Health Service hospitals and specialist clinics and require the approval of two doctors. Earlier this year, a House of Commons committee found women were experiencing unnecessary delays in obtaining abortion care and called for easier access. The committee also recommended the current law be liberalized to do away with the two doctors' signatures rule. The committee evaluation is expected to be completed in early 2008.

Urge Congress to Save Birth Control Now!

Millions of college students and low-income women have been drastically affected by the soaring cost of birth control, which has risen substantially this year because of a mistake made by Congress.

For nearly twenty years, pharmaceutical companies have been able to voluntarily provide low-cost birth control to university health centers and other providers. Unfortunately, last year Congress changed the law and inadvertently eliminated college and university health centers, along with some community health providers, from obtaining birth control at a low cost. As a result of this mistake, birth control prices have skyrocketed for over 3 million college students and approximately 750,000 low income women.

Congress need only make a small change to the law to permit pharmaceutical companies to once again offer low-cost drugs to university health centers and safety net providers. Call your Representative and Senators and urge them to support the Prevention through Affordable Access Act.

>Take Action and Save Birth Control Now!