Abortion
Our view: Rights at risk
Orlando Sentinel
August 3, 2008
Shelve arrogant White House push to redefine birth control as abortion
Countless Space Coast women every day make private decisions about bearing children, including choosing to use contraception.
The vast majority of American women use a contraceptive method at some point in their lives.
And 62 percent of the 62 million women nationwide of childbearing age are currently using one, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
Republican-backed Bill Declares Life Begins at Conception
Josh Hafenbrack, Sun-Sentinel
March 13, 2008
TALLAHASSEE — A bill that defines life at conception for the purpose of prosecuting violent acts against pregnant women cleared a House panel Wednesday along sharply divided party lines.
Republican legislators on the committee pushed through the effort to define an "unborn child" as a fetus at any stage of development in the womb. Under current law, an unborn child is defined as a "viable fetus" that is "capable of meaningful life outside the womb through standard medical measures."
Abortion foes peddle ideology
A Times Editorial
March 6, 2008
The very difficult decision over whether to continue a pregnancy or choose an abortion is supposed to be a private one between a woman and her doctor. But extreme antiabortion ideologues in the Florida Legislature continually try to elbow in, and this year is no exception.
Sen. Daniel Webster, the Republican majority leader, has introduced a bill, SB 2400, to require that women get an ultrasound before having an abortion.
Planned Parenthood picks Oneco for clinic
Donna Wright, Bradenton Herald
March 4, 2008
Planned Parenthood of Southwest Florida announced Monday that its first health clinic in Manatee County will be located in Oneco.
"The lease has been signed," said Barbara Zdravecky, chief executive officer and president of the Planned Parenthood Southwest and Central Florida. "It has been my goal to help reduce the high teen pregnancy rate and high teen, repeat-birth rates in Manatee County ever since I joined Planned Parenthood 14 years ago."
Choose Life License Plates
Requires unused funds collected from Choose Life license plates to be allocated to organizations that provide support services to women carrying their pregnancy to term, including Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) that have been known to use anti-choice propaganda, medically inaccurate or incomplete information, and intimidation tactics to dissuade women from obtaining abortions. CPCs have also withheld essential, often life-saving, medically accurate reproductive health information from women who are led to believe that they are visiting a neutral and objective medical facility.
Provides funding for Crisis Pregnancy Centers which use medically-accurate or incomplete information to dissuade women from obtaining abortions.
Referred to Transportation; Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations
Abortion/Mandatory Ultrasound
SB 2400 violates the doctor-patient relationship by requiring that doctors perform ultrasounds prior to any abortion. SB 2400 does nothing to prevent unintended pregnancy or reduce the need for abortion. This bill would force physicians to perform ultrasounds even when it is not medically-appropriate to the patient’s situation or goes against the professional judgment of the physician.
Violates the doctor-patient relationship by requiring that doctors perform ultrasounds prior to any abortion
Did not recieve enough votes for passage by the Senate (4/30/2008)
Minor's Access to Abortion
SB 1504 jeopardizes the health and safety of young women by restricting access to reproductive healthcare. SB 1504 is unconstitutional because it infringes minors’ constitutionally protected right to travel.
This bill will prohibit nonresident minors from seeking judicial bypass for abortion.
Referred to Health Regulation; Judiciary
Behind the Abortion Decline
New York Times Editorial
January 26, 2008
Coinciding with this month’s 35th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s ruling that legalized abortion, a new study shows that the United States continues to make progress on reducing the abortion rate. The progress would be greater if more was done to avoid unintended pregnancies.
Staci Fox: Women's rights struggle
By STACI FOX
Special to The Gainesville Sun
4:43 pm, January 21, 2008
The 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade is a powerful reminder that the struggle for women's health and safety continues. Deciding whether and when to become a parent is one of the most personal and important choices we make.
American citizens are blessed with incredible rights and freedoms. But the debate around abortion forces us to examine who we are as a nation.
Abortion
HB 257 ties the hands of doctors by requiring that an ultrasound is performed prior to an abortion, regardless of the woman’s particular situation or healthcare needs. This dangerous bill also takes needed advocates away from Florida’s abused, neglected and abandoned children by requiring that young women seeking a judicial bypass for abortion are assigned a guardian ad litem.
Restricts access to reproductive health care and puts the health and safety of Florida women at risk.
Passed House
