Morning Roundup: Alaska Parental Notification Law Upheld, Stripped of Physician Punishment

Abortion rulings in Alaska and (expected soon) in Ireland; closeted teachers; science  doesn't match the beliefs of the Family Research Council; and "Choice on Earth" cards from Planned Parenthood.

Abortion rulings in Alaska and (expected soon) in Ireland top the news this morning, along with the plight of closeted teachers, science that doesn’t match the beliefs of the Family Research Council, and “Choice on Earth” cards from Planned Parenthood.

  • The European Court on Human Rights will rule soon on whether Irish abortion laws are a violation of human rights. The three women at the center of the case say they risked their health to travel outside of Ireland for pregnancy termination. According to Independent Catholic News, the women who brought the suit included a woman who faced an ectopic pregnancy, a cancer patient who needed chemotherapy, and “a woman whose children were placed in care as she was unable to cope.”
  • A judge in Alaska has allowed the parental notification law to stand (and it will go into effect today), but has modified the statute, removing “provisions calling for a fine of up to $1,000 and imprisonment of up to five years for people who violate the law. He also struck a section allowing physicians to be liable for damages.” Planned Parenthood says it will continue to challenge the law.
  • Soldiers aren’t the only ones who operate under “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Many teachers, as well, adhere to an unwritten policy of keeping their sexual orientation private so as to prevent false accusations, loss of certification, and backlash from parents and their employers.
  • A new study says abortion doesn’t cause mental health problems for women, and disputes earlier studies that claim to find a link. Shockingly, the Family Research Council doesn’t believe the science.
  • Did you know that Planned Parenthood sold holiday cards? Some do (such as this affiliate), and of course, some people don’t like that. (Do you think the writer knows she doesn’t have to buy them?)

Dec 14

Dec 13