The fate of a bill allowing employers in Missouri to refuse to provide health insurance coverage for contraception, sterilization or abortion is in the hands of Gov. Jay Nixon, who over the years has managed to sidestep taking a stand on abortion legislation.
Tag: reproductive laws
House Rejects Bill to Ban Sex Selective Abortions
The House on Thursday rejected a measure that sought to impose fines and prison terms on doctors who perform abortions on women who are trying to select the gender of their offspring — a practice known as sex-selective abortion.
The legislation, which required two-thirds support to win passage under the fast-track procedure used to bring it to the floor, fell short on a vote of 246 to 168. Republicans did not anticipate that the legislation would pass, but saw it as an opportunity to force Democrats to vote on an issue with appeal among conservatives.
“Today’s vote is a stunning declaration by supporters of abortion that they oppose any restrictions on abortion,” said Representative John Fleming, Republican of Louisiana.
Twins conceived after dad’s death using frozen sperm shouldn’t get survivor benefits
The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that a man’s children who were conceived through artificial insemination after his death cannot get Social Security survivor benefits.
Justices unanimously ruled that twins born to Robert Capato’s surviving wife Karen did not qualify for survivor benefits because of a requirement that the federal government use state inheritance laws.
U.S. Catholic groups sue to block contraception mandate
The University of Notre Dame and dozens of other Catholic institutions sued President Barack Obama’s administration on Monday to block a government regulation that requires employers to provide health insurance coverage for contraceptives to employees.
Contraception Lawsuit Puts Obama On The Spot
A federal district court in New York is weighing whether to force the federal government to lift the age restrictions on over-the-counter sale of emergency contraceptives. The Food and Drug Administration recommended allowing younger teens to buy the “morning after” pill without a prescription, but Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius blocked the change in December with President Barack Obama’s blessing.
Montana Judge Says Contraceptive Ban Violates Teens Privacy
A Montana judge has struck down the state’s ban on prescription birth control coverage for teenage girls enrolled in its low-income health insurance program
Maine’s Highest Court Rules That District Courts Have Authority To Make Parentage Determinations In Gestational Surrogacy
Last week, Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court addressed for the first time the issue of parentage in a gestational surrogate birth, finding that the District Courts have authority under existing law to determine who a child’s parents are when the child is conceived through ART and then carried and delivered by another person.
New Hampshire’s HB 217 May (Inadvertantly) Make Fertility Treatments Scarce
When New Hampshire legislature amended HB 217 to change the proposed fetal murder and homicide charges to apply only to fetuses of 24 weeks gestation and beyond, many politicians and advocates believed the bill was unlikely to have much effect on reproductive rights.
Should Catholic Schools Fire Teachers Over Infertility Treatments?
Emily Herx was a popular literature teacher at St. Vincent de Paul School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, until she used her medical leave for in vitro fertilization. Herx lost her job and says a church official called her a “grave, immoral sinner.” When she appealed to Fort Wayne Bishop Kevin Rhoades, he told her IVF was “an intrinsic evil, which means that no circumstances can justify it.” The federal government saw things a bit differently. Herx filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and won — paving the way for a civil lawsuit.
Gay Couple has Two Children from Different Racial Backgrounds in IVF Clinic Mixup
An IVF mix-up has left a gay couple with two unrelated children of entirely different racial backgrounds.