Roundup: Dominican Republic Adds "Right to Life" to Constitution

Roundup: Dominican Republic Adds “Right to Life” to Constitution

Apr 24, 2009, 9:58am

Dominican Republic adds "right to life" to its Constitution; Ohio advocates gear up to introduce state-level Prevention First; Sebelius nomination fight drags on; Sebelius vetoes late-term abortion restriction; Washington state to stop applying for federal abstinence-only program funds.

Dominican Republic Adds "Right to Life" to Its Constitution"

Dominican lawmakers have voted to approve an amendment to the Constitution to outlaw abortion. Reports Dominican Today: "Despite the constant objections by feminist organizations,
institutions and personalities who favor legalizing abortion in cases
of incest, rape or when the pregnancy endangers a woman’s life, the
Revisory Assembly Tuesday approved Executive Branch’s proposal 21,
which states: “’The right to the life is inviolable from conception
until death.’” LifeSiteNews reports: "Article 11 of the new constitution, which was approved by a large
majority of 167-32, states that ‘the right to life is inviolable from
conception until death. The death penalty cannot be established,
pronounced, nor applied, in any case.’"

"The Dominican Gynecology and Obstetrics Society Wednesday warned that
the number of maternal deaths will increase considerably, with the
approval of the article that bans the interruption of pregnancies," adds Dominican Today.

Ohio Advocates Gear Up to Introduce State-Level Prevention First
The Big Oh! Blog reports
on Ohio pro-choice advocates’ lobby day to push for a state-level
Prevention First bill: "The soon-to-be-introduced bills (one in the
House and one in the
Senate) outline public policies that reduce the need for abortion by
educating young people about how to make wise decisions before they
become sexually active and increasing access to birth control."
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Ohio, NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, the
Ohio ACLU, the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and other
pro-choice groups are pushing the bill.

Sebelius Nomination Fight Drags On; Sebelius Vetoes Late-Term Abortion Restriction
This Kathleen Sebelius nomination saga seemingly has no end. Reports the NYT Caucus blog,
"The Senate Democratic leadership announced late tonight that there
would be six to eight hours of debate, before a vote on Tuesday, that
would indeed require 60 votes." GOP Chairman Michael Steele joined the
chorus, issuing a statement calling for further clarity around
Sebelius’s position on late-term abortion and her relationship with
Kansas abortion provider Dr. George Tiller. Meanwhile, Sebelius signed
one piece of anti-choice legislation to hit her desk while she was up
for nomination but just vetoed another, a bill that would have placed
further restrictions on late-term abortion. "While I agree that we
should try to reduce the number of abortions, it
cannot be at the increased risk to the life or health of women," she wrote in her veto message.

Washington State May Stop Applying for Federal Abstinence-Only Funds

Washington state legislation already passed by both the state Senate and House
would require the state to apply for federal funding for sex education
only for programs and initiatives proven to be effective.

"Before, the Department of
Health could only apply for federal funding if sex education was
limited to abstinence only education. Brian Griffith with
Planned Parenthood says, "Now the Department of Health will be directed
to apply only for programs that have a proven effective rate and are
also cost effective."

Since the
federal government currently provides no funding for any sexuality
education that’s not abstinence-only, and ab-only has been proven
ineffective time and time again, I’m not sure which programs the state would
be able to apply for. We’ll look into this in more depth and report
back.

Other News to Note
April 22: News on 6: Gov. Henry To Veto Stem Cell Bill

April 23: News OK: Research is pro-life and pro-cure

April 23: Brand Republic: First morning-after pill TV ad to air tonight

April 22: Pro-Life Blogs: Gardasil Moms: If one of those 32 dead girls or women was your daughter…

PR Newswire: Pro-Life Spokeswoman Objects to FDA Approval of ‘Morning-After Pill’ for Minors Without Prescription

April 23: RightWingWatch: ACLJ Out Front of Another Bogus Controversy

April 24: Clerical Whispers: Women Challenge Ireland’s Pro-Life Laws

April 23: Nola.com: Archbishop Hughes to boycott Xavier commencement over abortion rights honoree Donna Brazile

April 23: Riverfront Times: Judge Sides with "The Devil" in Missouri Lawsuit over Abortion, Stem-Cell Initiative

April 23: Chicago Tribune: Wis. board nominees approved despite opposition

April 23: AP: Neb. gun debate hijacked by abortion discussion

April 23: Business Wire: Melody
Barnes, Dr. Ruth and NFPRHA Celebrate Historic Supreme Court Ruling:
Annual Griswold Luncheon Will Honor Family Planning Providers and
Supporters