Oklahoma and Texas want to restrict use of medical abortion despite recommendations from medical groups; Florida votes on pile of anti-abortion bills today; MariaTalks.com controversy continues in Massachusetts; and Texas tries to repeal transgender marriage.

• The Oklahoma senate is practicing medicine without a license. The chamber passed a bill restricting the use of medication abortion, making it harder for women to terminate a pregnancy with RU-486. Kate Neary-Pounds, the director of Tulsa Reproductive Services said, “This legislation makes it a crime to provide a medical abortion under a protocol that is based on scientific, medical evidence, denying women in Oklahoma access to what is standard medical practice.” Not to be outdone, Texas legislatures are jumping on the same restrict-medication-abortion bandwagon, despite no evidence that doing so will improve health outcomes.
• The Florida house is voting on a slate of anti-abortion bills today. They include measures on “choose life” license plates, banning abortion coverage in state health exchanges, mandatory ultrasounds, parental notification, and clinic and provider regulations.
• The controversy over the MariaTalks.com website continues in Massachusetts, with some lawmakers calling the site “disgusting” and demanding that Governor Duval Patrick take it down.
• Texas is trying to repeal a two-year old law that allows transgender persons to marry using court-approved proof of a sex change as proof of gender. A spokesman for Governor Rick Perry said he “never intended to allow transgendered people to get married.” 

Apr 26

• RI lawmakers consider changes to abortion laws – Boston Globe
• Extra benefits for condoms in porn – The Massachusetts Daily Collegian
• Save MariaTalks – The Massachusetts Daily Collegian
• Criminal penalties stripped from abortion drug bill – Austin American-Statesman
• Cutting the budget for family-planning services – The Seattle Times
• GOP Budget: Time Travel Back To When Seniors Couldn’t Afford Health Care – Kaiser Health News
• Neb. abortion bill stalls in legislative committee – Greenwich Time
• Abortion bill could pass Indiana House Wednesday – The Desert Sun
• “A condom doesn’t protect against cancer” – BlogHer (blog)
• Putting Latinas at Risk: Crisis in reproductive health care for Latinas looms … – La Prensa
• Reproductive Rights: Why women still die in childbirth – TrustLaw
• Maine Bill Would Require Parental Approval of Birth Control Pills for Minors – MPBN News
• 2 abortion bills fail to advance – Omaha World-Herald
• Communities form to decrease infant mortality rate among blacks – Chicago Tribune
• Ron Paul kicks off exploratory committee for ’12 bid – msnbc.com
• Live Action’s anti-abortion ‘sting’ videos raise moral questions – USA Today
• Six abortion-restricting bills set for House floor vote tomorrow – Florida Independent
• Sex ed, evolution in school policy debate – The Canberra Times
• Fake Pregnancy, Real Difference – BlogHer (blog)
• Bills to limit abortions advance in Legislature – Sarasota Herald-Tribune
• Effort To Defund Planned Parenthood Now In States – The New American
• HHS urges child welfare agencies to better serve LGBTQ youth – SouthFloridaGayNews.com
• Pat Robertson: Women Get Abortions To Get On ‘Level Playing Field’ With Lesbians – Mediaite.com
• HIV tally high among Minnesota’s young men – Minneapolis Star Tribune
• Fla. House rejects changes to abortion bills – CNBC.com
• Groups lobby Obama to attend UN AIDS meeting – Bay Windows
• Santorum says McCain lost in ’08 because he didn’t bring up Obama and infanticide – DesMoinesRegister.com
• Bill targets parental consent for sex education – OCRegister
• Mass. lawmakers say sex ed website ‘disgusting’ – Boston Globe
• Filipino bishops will avoid religious clashes on birth-control bill – Catholic Culture
• House set to vote on Choose Life license plate adjustment – Ocala
• Teen Sex Ed Web Site Needs To Stop! Why? Because It Talks To Teens About Sex – The Frisky
• Abortion debate takes center stage at downtown Denver campus – Catholic News Agency
• The Future of Abortion? – Mother Jones
• After 3 years, Massachusetts sex-health website becomes anti-abortion rights … – The American Independent
• Obesity, Poor Prenatal Care Contribute to Md. Maternal Mortality Rate – Southern Maryland Online
• Proposed Michigan law would require viewing fetal photo before an abortion – Deseret News
• Pence amendment masks dangers of Republican budget – Flagler College Gargoyle
• Texas trying to repeal law that allows transgender people to marry – The American Independent
• Child Watch: Children’s Health on the Chopping Block – Afro American
• Pro-life official calls report on Catholic contraceptive use misleading – The Catholic Review
• Rwanda Launches Africa’s First Nationwide Cervical Cancer Vaccination … – Kaiser Family Foundation
• Need for Sex Education in American Samoa – TopNews United States
• Candidates tangle over abortion – Terrace Standard
• African-American Pastors Unite to Revive Marriage and Fatherhood – PR Newswire (press release)
• 1 in 4 report bullying at Mass. schools – Boston Globe
• Santa Barbara, Tri-County schools failing sex education – The Daily Sound
• Moms4Moms Movement Partners With Christy Turlington Burns’ “Every Mother … – PR Newswire (press release)
• Protein inhibitor may bring a topical treatment for HPV – EurekAlert (press release)