Colorado, South Dakota, Virginia Take Actions On Women's Health-Related Legislation, Programs

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 09 Jan 2008 - 6:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

The following highlights recent news of state and local actions on women's health-related issues.

Abortion, Abstinence-Only Education

• South Dakota: About half of South Dakota lawmakers support placing a referendum on the November ballot that would ban all abortions in the state except in cases or rape, incest or when the pregnant woman's life is in danger, according to a recent Associated Press poll, the AP/Rapid City Journal reports (Brokaw, AP/Rapid City Journal, 1/6). The poll was sent to all 105 members of the state Legislature, and 100 responded between Dec. 12 and Dec. 28, 2007. Fifty-one lawmakers, including 40 Republicans and 11 Democrats, supported placing the proposed ban on the ballot. Twenty-nine legislators, including 11 Republicans and 18 Democrats, did not support the proposed referendum. Thirteen Republicans and five Democrats were undecided on the issue, the poll found. Some abortion-rights opponents in the state have begun collecting signatures for a petition to place the referendum to ban abortions on the ballot in November. A similar measure (HB 1215) that allowed exceptions only if the woman's life was in danger passed the Legislature in 2006 but later was rejected by voters. The survey also asked lawmakers whether they would support a bill requiring abortion clinics to offer women the chance to view a sonogram before undergoing the procedure. Forty-eight lawmakers said they would support such a bill, compared with 31 lawmakers who said they would not. Twenty-one lawmakers were undecided (Associated Press, 1/5).
  
  
• Virginia: The Family Foundation of Virginia plans to press for legislation in the state's General Assembly, including a budget amendment to restore funding for abstinence-only education programs eliminated by Gov. Tim Kaine (D), the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. The foundation also will advocate for a new state requirement that women seeking abortions be given information about "the ability of [a fetus] to feel pain during a second or third trimester abortion" and be given the option to view a sonogram, Chris Freund, vice president of policy and communications for the group, said. According to the Times-Dispatch, the foundation is proposing adding the requirements to a law that requires women seeking abortions to receive information about adoption, the gestational age of the fetus and risks of the procedure. The group also plans to propose legislation to prohibit individuals or organizations that provide abortion services from contracting with public schools to provide course materials or instructions (Farmer, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1/5).

Maternity Leave

• Colorado: Two counselors at Denver's East High School last month asked Denver Public Schools to establish a districtwide maternity leave policy for students, saying that the school's policy is unfair and inconsiderate, the Denver Post reports. DPS does not have a districtwide policy in place but allows each school to develop its own policies for pregnant students. East's policy charges students with unexcused absences if they do not return to school the day after being discharged from the hospital after giving birth. According to the Post, several other school districts across the state offer alternative schools that provide child care for teenagers with children or provide other programs that encourage teenage girls with children to complete high school. DPS' Florence Crittendon School provides programs for pregnant teens and teens with children but has a waiting list. "Maybe we do need a policy," Michelle Moss, a DPS board member, said, adding, "We've got to look at the birth-control issues and teen pregnancy and how we best help them deal with it and still graduate." There are 54.5 pregnancies per every 1,000 girls ages 15 to 17 in Denver, compared with 24.3 pregnancies per every 1,000 girls of the same age statewide, according to state statistics (Meyer, Denver Post, 1/7).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2007 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.