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Volume XIV, Number 37 / April 9, 1999
Important Dates
April 12
PPFA government relations department to hold a briefing on Capitol Hill for the 106th Congress
April 15
House International Relations Committee scheduled to debate the State Department Reauthorization bill
SIECUS Reports Abstinence-Only Program Changing Sexuality Education In The States
A study released by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) this week finds that the $50 million-a year abstinence-only sexuality education program that was part of the welfare "reform" package approved by Congress in 1995 has, in fact, changed the focus of sexuality education. However, the study also finds, and complaints from organizations that pushed for the federal program confirm, that many states have used the funds for programs and messages that are less heavy handed than proponents had hoped for.
Only two states - California and New Hampshire -- have refused the funds. And one organization in Denver, CO has returned the remainder of its grant saying the strictures are unworkable for its clientele. New Jersey has put none of the money into school programs because state law requires that sexuality education programs cover contraceptives as well as abstinence. On the other hand, five states -- Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Oklahoma - have passed laws requiring that school sexuality education programs be abstinence-only.
In the announcement of the release of the study, the Debra Haffner, president of SIECUS, says that the large influx of federal money for programs that require teaching only abstinence until marriage has affected the information young people have access to. She says she fears these young people will be denied "life-saving public health information," because of these changes.
On the other hand, in a story in the April 4 edition of The New York Times, the president of the National Coalition for Abstinence Education complains that federal and state officials are "watering down the strong intent of the law. Media campaigns can be very useful, but not these fuzzy television messages we've seen ... about not having sex until you're ready, where it's not tied to marriage at all."
SIECUS conducted the study over an 18-month period. Forty-five states and the district of Columbia responded. It was funded by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
IN THE STATES - State Legislative Update
Arkansas Senate Committee Rejects Ultrasound Mandate
On April 2nd, the Arkansas Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee defeated a bill that would have required a woman to undergo and view an ultrasound at least 24 hours before obtaining an abortion. The bill's sponsor, first-term Rep. Jim Bob Duggar (R), maintained that ultrasounds are regularly given, but not often shown to women, so the requirement that they be provided would not be a "roadblock" to abortion.
Opponents of the measure objected to language in the bill that stated, "If the fetus has not reached the time of viability, then the woman as witness and decision maker, may decide whether this life will be granted the rights and dignity of personhood."
Duggar was unconcerned by the defeat of his bill. According to an article in the April 3rd edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, term limits, which in Arkansas limit members of the legislature to three terms, mean that a majority of this committee will not be able to run for the legislature again. This committee historically has been a dependable pro-choice blockade to anti-abortion legislation. "I'm just going to wait for term limits and bring it back," said Duggar.
New Mexico Ban On So-Called "Partial Birth" Abortions Fails
The New Mexico House failed to act on a bill that would have banned so-called "partial birth" abortions before the legislative session ended on March 20. The bill had been approved by the Senate by a vote of 24-15. The only exception to the ban would have been to protect a woman's.
Rhode Island Senate Approves Wait For Abortion
The Rhode Island Senate voted 31-16 last week for a bill that would require a woman to wait 24-hours after receiving state-mandated information before obtaining an abortion. The original bill required that a woman meet with a doctor in person for counseling. It was amended to require that the meeting be with a licensed health care professional, but the meeting still would have to be face-to-face. The bill now goes to the House Finance Committee for consideration.
Colorado Ban On Female Genital Mutilation Advances
The Colorado Senate voted 32-3 on April 6th to approve a bill that would make it a felony to mutilate female genitalia. The bill has passed in the Senate before, only to be rejected in the House because members claimed such things did not occur in Colorado. The bill will now go to the House again.
Louisiana Becomes Latest State To Introduce Contraceptive Equity Bill
Louisiana has become the 32nd state to introduce legislation that would require private insurance carriers to cover contraceptive drugs and devices if they provide prescription coverage. State employees' health insurance already covers birth control pills and Norplant, but does not cover IUDs or other contraceptive methods.
Mixed Bag In Florida For Anti-Choice Proposals
The anti-choice bills that ran into so much trouble last week when the Planned Parenthood affiliates and other women's rights groups were in Tallahassee and attended the hearings were debated again this week. Both the House and Senate Committees have approved a bill that would require minors to wait 48 hours after notifying a parent before obtaining an abortion. Gov. Jeb Bush (R) is expected to sign it if it reaches his desk. The state Supreme Court rejected a 1997 law requiring parental consent saying that it violates the state constitution's privacy protections. Opponents of the notification bill say it will meet the same fate, while supporters maintain that notification is different from consent, and it will withstand judicial scrutiny.
Senate supporters of the ban on so-called "partial birth" abortions have twice tried to completely strip the language of the bill and replace it. The latest version is entitled the "Fetus Transitioning into a Person Act." It allows a doctor to be tried for murder if he or she "kills" a viable fetus - defined as 20-24 weeks -after it is "partially delivered." It states that any pregnancy complication that threatens a woman's health, "must be treated as any other medical emergency relating to her health or life."
This latest version has raised opposition from both pro- and anti-choice groups. However, it still is possible that language may be developed that will gain committee approval.
Finally, the Florida legislature is debating a bill that would require any doctor's office where a single abortion is performed to be considered an abortion clinic and be subject to extensive regulations. According to a story in the April 7th edition of the Tallahassee Herald, Senate Majority Leader Jack Latvala calls this bill "DOA."
Kansas House Tightens Minors' Abortion Restrictions
On March 26th, the Kansas House voted 79-45 to approve legislation that would require minors to obtain the consent of one parent or a judicial waiver before obtaining an abortion. The bill also prohibits an abortion if there is a "reasonable probability" that the fetus could survive indefinitely outside the womb "with natural or artificial life support measures." Current Kansas law already requires that a parent of a minor be notified or that the minor receive court permission before obtaining an abortion.
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