Roundup: TRAP Law On the Move in Indiana

TRAP Law on the Move in Indiana
The Chicago Tribune reports, "A House committee approved a bill Tuesday to require any doctor who performs an abortion in Indiana to have admitting privileges at a hospital either in the county where the abortion is to be performed or in a neighboring county."  Pro-choice groups say it's an unnecessary restriction that makes provision more difficult for doctors and does not make abortion (already a very safe procedure) any safer.

Planned Parenthood, Californians Protest Suspension of Contract
A few weeks ago, I noted that the Orange County, Calif., Board of Supervisors had suspended Planned Parenthood's contract with the state to provide sexuality education and counseling to thousands of teens.  Now, reports the LA Times, "About 40 members of local chapters of Planned Parenthood and other women's groups and concerned citizens criticized supervisors for citing their own beliefs about abortion as a reason for pulling the $291,788 health education contract...Supervisors voted unanimously last month to suspend the contract because, they said, they did not want to provide funding to an organization that performs abortions. None of the county money, however, was used to fund abortions, Planned Parenthood representatives said."

Abortion Restriction Goes Into Effect in Ohio
An Ohio abortion law goes into effect today.  Reports Cincinnati.com: "A new state law requires clinics that perform abortions to post signs detailing a patient's rights and mandates prison time for assaulting a pregnant woman. House Bill 280, sponsored by former state Rep. Michelle Schneider, a Republican from Madeira, takes effect today."

More Assessments of Advisory Council on Faith-Based Initiatives; Debates Among Religious Progressives and Liberals
In her column the FundamentaList, Sarah Posner takes on new additions to the Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Initiatives and a recent White House conference call that brought together both pro- and anti-choice groups:

To promote the alleged "common ground" on "abortion reduction," Joshua DuBois, the director of President Barack Obama's Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (OFBNP), gave a rare interview to Newsweek last week. In it, he embraced the Come Let Us Reason Together mythology that the end of the "culture wars" is nigh, if only those old battle axes on the left and right would lay down their arms. DuBois maintained, "There's a culture-war industry on both sides. … What's helpful to the president and to us is a lot of people are weary of that. People are looking for ways out."

With this cringe-worthy denigration of reproductive-health advocates as just as extreme as abortion-clinic harassers, DuBois signals a future of mealy mouthed Democrats who are pro-choice in their hearts, though timid when it comes to campaign rhetoric and policy.

Following links from Posner's post, I found an online debate over the future of the religious left, between Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, Frances Kissling , and Rev. Debra Haffer.  Haffner writes,

Let me be clear: You cannot call yourself a religious progressive if you don't support full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens, if you don't support women's moral agency regarding abortion, or if you don't support comprehensive sexuality education that gives our young people the life-saving information they need. But you won't hear certain self-described "progressive religious leaders" standing up or speaking out for these issues.

Other News to Note
April 7: Daily Finance: The Doctor Is In: It's a new morning at the FDA for the morning-after pill

April 7: TPM-DC: NARAL Targeting Moderate Republicans, Conservative Democrats

April 6: LifeNews Site: Uganda Refuses to Bow to United Nations Pressure to Accept Homosexuality

April 7: Catholic News Agency: Hundreds of babies saved from abortion in recent pro-life campaign

April 7: AUL Blog: FOCA by stealth

April 8: Shanghai Daily: 'It's a girl' is a phrase more likely to be heard
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2009/200904/20090408/article_396971.htm

April 7: The New Security Beat: The New Security Beat: Former USAID Population Directors Argue for ...

April 7: Life News: White House Staffer: Two Million Red Envelopes Came to Obama Against Abortion

April 7: Times Free Press: Tennessee: Abortion restriction resolution passes committee

April 7: East Bay: Closing of Nation's Oldest Women’s Choice Clinic Mourned by Community Members

April 7: Times Leader: Colleges: Birth control ban is honored: 4 local Catholic institutions tell bishop no contraception is made available.

April 7: The Clarion: Birth control bill awaits Gov. Ritter's signature

April 7: the Nation: The Pope's Position on Birth Control by Margaret Sanger