Roundup: Out With the Old, and In With the... Old

by Robin Marty, RH Reality Check

January 4, 2010 - 9:07am (Print)

Happy 2010, one and all!

If you are like me, you have probably been pining for the symbolism of 2010 for a while: the new decade, the fresh start, the chance to once again look at the world with optimism and a new pair of eyes.

Well, hope you enjoyed your two days of "new," because I looked around the country for today's round up, and a lot of it is the same old story.

Oklahoma legislators are planning to bring back the same anti-abortion legislation that they tried and failed to pass last year, proving that if at first you don't succeed, you're probably a politician:

Two controversial abortion laws now in court might be revisited this legislative session if supporters decide they can successfully circumvent any legal rulings. One measure that would have required women to undergo an ultrasound within an hour of obtaining an abortion and hear a description of the findings was tossed out by an Oklahoma County judge who ruled that it violated the state's constitutional one-subject requirement. The attorney general's office is appealing that decision.

In another case, an Oklahoma County judge has extended a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of a measure that would require physicians to obtain extensive personal information from abortion recipients and make it available for inclusion on a state Web site. Opponents argue the measure, which has other provisions, is intrusive and unnecessary and could make women who receive abortions identifiable.

Plaintiffs challenging that bill contend it also violates the one-subject rule. The case is set to be heard beginning Feb. 19.

Look for Oklahoma lawmakers to continue to make national news on this front, whether we want them to or not.

Kansas is also poised to do a 2009 redux, with legislators adamant about passing laws to crack down on late term abortions in the state, despite the fact that after the death of Dr. Tiller, there is no longer anyone in the state that can even perform them.

Tiller’s clinic has been closed since he was shot to death in May and no doctor or clinic elsewhere in Kansas is doing the same work.

But legislators who oppose abortion still expect to pass a bill requiring doctors who perform late-term procedures to report more information to the state and making it possible for them to face lawsuits if patients or others come to believe their abortions violated state law. Abortion opponents contend such issues are still compelling, even if no doctor or clinic is performing abortions as late as Tiller did.

...

Peter Brownlie, president and chief executive officer of the Planned Parenthood chapter, said he’s not surprised at abortion opponents’ plans. He sees the annual legislative disputes mainly as an effort to help anti-abortion groups raise money.

“There’s nobody in the state of Kansas who’s doing abortions past 22 weeks of pregnancy. It’s a moot issue, from a practical standpoint,” he said. “For the Legislature to continue to spend significant amounts of its time on an issue that has no practical impact is waste of taxpayer money and legislative time.”

Some states are bypassing 2009, and heading all the way back to the early 2000's. In Alaska, where a parental notification law was taken off the books in 2007, an Anchorage Arch Bishop is making a push to get all Catholic registered voters to sign a petition to add a consent law to the ballot during the next election.

In order for the Parental Notification Initiative to go before voters in August, organizers need 44,000 signatures of registered Alaskan voters.

“At this moment they are 4,500 signatures short with two weeks to go,” Archbishop Schwietz wrote in a December 31 letter addressed to all pastors and parish administrators in the archdiocese.

“How tragic it will be if this initiative fails because of a lack of attention or indifference,” he added.
In order for an initiative to be placed on a state election ballot in Alaska, 32,734 signatures from registered voters are required and while the minimum number of names has already been gathered, more signatures are still needed to make-up for those signers who may be disqualified because they are not registered voters. The deadline is Jan. 15.

But there are some signs of progress out there. In Wisconsin, 2010 means the implementing of a new rule requiring that all insurers cover birth control in their plans.

Mandating birth control coverage will dramatically increase its access, Safar said. She cited a 2001 report by the state Office of the Insurance Commissioner that showed about one in five of the most popular insurance plans with prescription drug coverage in Wisconsin did not cover contraceptives.

Wisconsin is joining 24 other states that already require birth control to be covered, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Two additional states require insurance companies to offer contraceptive coverage as an option to employees, but it can be declined.

Maybe it will be a happy new year after all!

Mini Roundup: In lieu of a mini-roundup, a second dip into Oklahoma. apparently, when it comes to "til death do you part," Oklahoma really means it:

If Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, gets her way, Oklahomans soon will have a harder time getting divorced. In House Bill 2279, Kern seeks to tighten up the incompatibility grounds for divorce. Under her proposal, judges could not grant a divorce on the basis of incompatibility if there are living minor children of the marriage, the parties have been married 10 years or longer, or either party files a written objection to the granting of the divorce.

Apparently forcing married people who hate either other's guts to stay married is better for everyone, including the children, than letting everyone have the chance to start a new life, in Kern's view.

I guess you can't say they don't take the sanctity of marriage seriously in the state.

January 3, 2010

My Turn: Don't make abortion about ability to pay BurlingtonFreePress.com

What lawmakers have in store for Oklahomans Tulsa World

Abortion foes plan to renew debate Lawrence Journal World

Latest Rasmussen Poll Finds Majority Oppose Abortion Funding in Health Care Bill LifeNews.com

Abortion Ethics: When Might Makes Right Gospel Coalition

Majority Favors Abortion Ban in Health Care Bill American Spectator

Kyle Simplot: A pro-life view of capital punishment La Crosse Tribune

Pro-Life News: Republicans, Health Care, Abortion, Mother Teresa, Ben Nelson ... LifeNews.com

LETTER: Spend Energy Helping Disadvantaged Children Flathead Beacon

Family takes journey of adoption Greensboro News & Record