Abortion

Morning Roundup: Texas High-Schoolers Demand Contraceptive Education

Beth Saunders

Texas students respond to the state's teen pregnancy rate by marching on the capitol to demand contraceptive education, a mini-roundup of the South Dakota waiting period/mandatory pro-life counseling bill, and the Oklahoma House moves to make abortion after 20 weeks a felony - for the doctor.

Texas students respond to the state’s teen pregnancy rate by marching on the capitol to demand contraceptive education, a mini-roundup of the South Dakota waiting period/mandatory pro-life counseling bill, and the Oklahoma House moves to make abortion after 20 weeks a felony – for the doctor.

  • Texas high school students marched on the state capitol on Tuesday to demand that contraception be included in the state’s sex ed curriculum. Rep. Joaquin Castro has introduced a bill to that effect. The students say that the teen pregnancy rate it too high. What does Governor Rick Perry have to say about it? “I’m just going to tell you from my own personal life, abstinence works.” A sample of one. How scientific!
  • As Rewire has been reporting, South Dakota has proposed the longest waiting period – 72 hours – in the nation, along with a requirement that a woman visit a crisis pregnancy center for counseling prior to having an abortion. A columnist for the Sioux Falls Examiner looks into the involvement of the Liberty Council, while a Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writer says he supports the waiting period because the decision “should not be rushed,” and the editorial board of the Daily Republic writes, “the process may be intrusive to a woman’s private life, but it also creates a cooling-off period during which sound decisions may be made.” If the governor signs the bill, which he said he is inclined to do, the legislation will be challenged in court. The state public fund for defense of restrictive abortion laws currently has $14,500, far less than what would be required to defend the law.
  • The Oklahoma House passes a fetal pain bill, which would make abortion a felony after 20 weeks gestation. Just to be clear, it’s the provider who would be charged with a felony, not the woman. (Because she’s too simple to understand what she’s doing?) Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think ANYONE should be charged with a felony.

Mar 10

Mar 9