Fla. AG Urges Support For Ultrasound Bill; Alliance Defense Fund Offers To Defend Challenged Ind. Abortion Ordinance

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Litigation / Medical Malpractice
Article Date: 09 Jun 2010 - 5:00 PDT

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Florida's governor is weighing whether to sign a bill that would require ultrasounds before abortions, while Allen County, Ind., officials are considering the Alliance Defense Fund's offer to provide no-cost legal services to defend a county ordinance imposing abortion regulations. Summaries appear below.

~ Florida: After more than five weeks of negotiations, state legislators sent Gov. Charlie Crist (I) a bill (HB 1143) that would require women to receive an ultrasound before an abortion, the AP/Miami Herald reports. The bill includes amendments that would require women to view the ultrasound image or listen to a description of it unless they can provide proof of rape, incest or domestic violence. According to the AP/Herald, the bill also "extends a state and federal policy prohibiting tax dollars from being used to pay for elective abortions." Crist, who has indicated that he might veto the bill, has until June 22 to make a decision. The governor has said he is concerned about additions that were made in the final hours of the session without committee hearings (Kallestad, AP/Miami Herald, 6/7). In a letter sent Friday, Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) urged Crist to sign the bill, the News Service of Florida/Miami Herald reports. If approved, the measure would become law on July 1 (News Service of Florida/Miami Herald, 6/5).

~ Indiana: Allen County commissioners this week will consider whether to allow Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund -- a group of Christian lawyers -- to defend the county in a lawsuit challenging a local ordinance imposing restrictions on abortion providers, the AP/CNBC reports. The ordinance requires out-of-town abortion providers to provide contact information to other providers in the area. Providers who fail to comply face a $1,000 fine or closure of their medical facilities or both. Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana and New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights sued county health officials on behalf of George Klopfer -- a physician and operator of an abortion clinic -- asserting that the ordinance unconstitutionally limits women's rights to abortion services. The lawsuit contends that the ordinance provides health officials with unfettered access to patient medical records and violates those patients' right to privacy. Supporters of the ordinance, which went into effect on June 1, say it aims to provide patients who experience complications following the procedure with better care by letting local physicians contact providers after they leave town. ADF offered legal services to the county at no cost. Commissioner Nelson Peters said the county commissioners would consider ADF's ability to effectively defend the county and the potential cost savings to the county by accepting ADF's offer (AP/CNBC, 6/6).

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