Roundup: ACLU Suing Alabama Prisons for Treatment of HIV-Positive Prisoners

Beth Saunders

Wisconsin library will show the anti-choice documentary, U.S. House committee passes bill preventing pre-tax dollars from being spend on abortion, ACLU sues Alabama prisons, and Virginia governor asks for abortion to be excluded from state insurance exchanges.

Wisconsin library will show the anti-choice documentary, U.S. House committee passes bill preventing pre-tax dollars from being spend on abortion, ACLU sues Alabama prisons, and Virginia governor asks for abortion to be excluded from state insurance exchanges.

  • The Wausau, WI, library that was being sued by 40 Days for Life for not showing an anti-choice documentary has backed off its decision, and will let the viewing be held Sunday as originally planned.
  • The House Ways and Means Committee passed a bill that would ban women from using pre-tax dollars to pay for abortion, such as a flexible spending account or health savings account. A spokesperson for the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation said it’s an “open question” whether the bill includes emergency contraception. (What part of “contraception” is confusing? It PREVENTS conception.)
  • The ACLU is suing the Alabama Department of Corrections because it segregates prisoners with HIV, effectively denying them rehabilitation services. Those who test positive are required to wear a colored armband identifying their status, and are not allowed to participate in work release programs. The Alabama DOC says that it has the policy to protect the health of all inmates and prevent the spread of the disease. South Carolina is the only other state with a similar policy.
  • Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has added a provision to the state’s new health care exchange to ban coverage for abortion. Exceptions are included for rape, incest, and when a woman’s life is at risk.

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Mar 31