By Claire, Communications Intern
Nothing quite like having a chart to fully understand the serious attack on reproductive rights this year. It really drives the war on choice home.
From the always insightful Guttmacher Institute . In the first 6 months of this year states enacted a full 162 provisions related to reproductive health and rights. 49% of these new laws specifically seek to restrict abortion procedures, access and so forth. A significant jump up from last year’s 23 new laws. Previously the highest year was 2005 with 34 provisions. All 162 were enacted in just 19 states. 10 states are still wrapping up their legislative sessions.
These anti-choice tactics include cutting funding to family planning services/Planned Parenthood, targeting providers, banning abortion coverage in insurance, mandated “counseling” and waiting periods, gestational bans, Ohio’s “Heartbeat” Bill, and other similar efforts.
North Carolina has seen a number of these tactics already. NC was the third state to cut funding to Planned Parenthood. We currently are waiting to see if the General Assembly will override Governor Perdue’s veto of the omnibus abortion restriction bill (which would include a waiting period). A bill was introduced in the spring, but not brought to vote, that would have cut abortion coverage to state, county and city employee health insurance policies. The current state budget cuts abortion coverage in health insurance for state employees.
2011 is not a good year for choice. And these were just the provisions that passed. There are plenty more anti-choice bills that thankfully were defeated or abandoned. And there are plenty waiting in the wings in most states for the next legislative session.
Read the whole report here.
Let’s all remember this on election day, okay?
