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If Missouri’s Last Abortion Clinic Closes, There Might Not Be Room for Patients in Neighboring Centers


Missouri might become the first state without a single abortion services provider since 1974, the year after Roe v. Wade was enacted. The state’s last remaining abortion clinic—called the Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region—is currently at risk of losing its license and being forced to close by the end of the week. However, the health center would still be allowed to provide STI testing, cancer screenings, birth control, and more.

Planned Parenthood is currently in a standoff with Missouri state officials over an audit of the clinic, which began this spring. According to the New York Times, “Lawyers for the clinic say that the audit, which began this spring, has become wide-ranging and includes demands they consider to be unreasonable…. The clinic agreed to meet a number of the state’s demands, including a requirement that it provide an additional pelvic exam for abortion patients. But the clinic is now deadlocked with state officials over a request to interview seven of its doctors, including fellows and residents.”

Yesterday, Colleen McNicholas, a physician at the clinic, was interviewed by state officials along with one of her fellow doctors. About the interview McNicholas told Glamour, “They asked about our practices and reproductive health services, including how we work with residents and fellow trainees. And while I still believe the interviews are completely unnecessary—because we have provided exceptional care for a very long time—I am also glad that the department finally agreed to sit down with me, and hopefully, through that conversation, they now understand what is the standard medical education process. I hope that resolves any remaining issues for them.”

Though McNicholas is hopeful about how her meeting went, she’s saddened that across the country there’s a “larger framework and strategy to criminalize abortion.” She went on to say, “Most people are familiar with legislative attempts, with all of the [abortion] bans that are sweeping our country—but for states that have really hostile restrictions to abortion care, the licensing process has become a weapon of these politically appointed health directors. This is something we face on an annual basis, but this year it was ratcheted up and we really saw investigators asking and demanding for things like interrogating physicians, which is so outside the bounds of what this process is supposed to be.”

While Planned Parenthood has filed a lawsuit requesting a restraining order against the state in the hope of keeping the clinic’s license—which will be brought to a circuit court judge today—the physicians at the clinic are already working on ways to make sure Missourians are granted access to abortion. One of the ways they’ll do so is by having more patients go to nearby clinics in places like Illinois or Kansas to receive abortion care. However, with the restrictions on abortion in Missouri, these neighboring clinics are becoming overcrowded.

“Over the last five to seven years, we’ve seen a significant increase in our number of patients from Missouri,” said ob/gyn Erin King, executive director of Illinois’ Hope Clinic for Women, which is located about 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis, in an interview with Glamour. “We’ve actually doubled the number of doctors that are seeing patients at our clinic in just the last year and a half. So we’ve really had to take on some of the burden of seeing those patients—and with the potential closing of this last clinic in Missouri, we anticipate a drastic increase [in patients] that we probably cannot accommodate right away. Obviously we’re doing everything we can to help our colleagues in St. Louis, and we’re working around the clock here to try to have the staff in place so that these patients can [come to us].”

And with the growing restrictions on abortion in Missouri—just last Friday, Governor Mike Parson signed into law an antiabortion bill that prohibits the procedure after eight weeks of pregnancy—McNicholas believes that self-managed abortion will become more and more of a reality for people seeking the procedure. “We know communities of color, people who are low-means or low-income, and rural Missourians [already] have tremendous difficulty accessing abortion care in the medical system,” says McNicholas. “So it should be expected, and we’ve already seen this, that people will turn to self-managed abortion. There are a variety of ways that self-managed abortion can come to fruition. If patients are able to access the medications that we use traditionally for an abortion, then they can safely manage their own abortion through that process with the right education and tools. However, there are going to be patients who can’t access that medicine, or think they’re accessing that medicine but get the wrong one. So we still have to be prepared for other methods of self-managed abortion and helping people to safely end their pregnancy.”

Missouri is currently one of six states with only one remaining clinic, according to data from the Guttmacher Institute, and would be the only state in the nation to not have a single clinic.



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SNL's Leslie Jones Unloads on the Alabama Senators Who Voted to Criminalize Abortion


Saturday Night Live cast member Leslie Jones took on Alabama’s new anti-abortion law last night during the show’s “Weekend Update” segment—and she didn’t hold back on condemning it.

Jones joined co-anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che decked out as a handmaid from The Handmaid’s Tale in a red robe and bonnet. After joking that her name is now “Ofjost,” she then ripped off her costume to display a black T-shirt that had “mine” written on it along with an arrow pointing down. What followed was a powerful, yet comical, take on the newly passed Alabama legislation that makes performing an abortion at any stage of a pregnancy a felony.

“You can’t control women. Because, I don’t know if y’all heard, but women are the same as humans. And I’m Leslie ‘Dracarys’ Jones!” she said. “I mean, why do all of these weird-ass men care what women do with their bodies?”

She then showed a photo of all 25 of the white male Senators who voted for the legislation and said, “This looks like the mugshots of everyone arrested at a massage parlor,” Jones said. “And if any of them had lips, I would tell them to kiss my entire ass.”

Jones then went on to say, “The fact that nine states are doing this means this really is a war on women.” She then made it clear that anyone feeling alone or scared is not alone.

She concluded her compelling bit on the segment with a “Dracarys” command, which is what Emilia Clarke’s character Daenerys uses on her dragons to release fire.

Watch the entire segment below:



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Elizabeth Warren Responds to Abortion Restrictions With Comprehensive Plan to Protect Choice


In the past few weeks Republicans have passed some of the most extreme bans on abortion since Roe v. Wade became the law of the land in 1973. In Alabama, governor Kay Ivey signed a law that would ban abortion from the moment of conception and onward. In Georgia, a woman could be punished for a self-induced abortion with life in prison as soon as a fetal heartbeat is detectable, at around six weeks. For now, abortion is still legal (albeit sometimes hard to access) in all 50 states. But women’s lives are under threat, and presidential candidates need to have a plan to protect them.

On Friday, Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke out about these abortion restrictions—and demanded that Congress pass federal laws to protect women’s reproductive rights. In a post published on Medium, the presidential candidate explained the federal laws she would like to see enacted if challenges from states like Alabama, Georgia, or Ohio were to overturn Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court, so a woman’s right to an abortion would still be protected.

“Court challenges will continue. And the next President can begin to undo some of the damage by appointing neutral and fair judges who actually respect the law and cases like Roe instead of right-wing ideologues bent on rolling back constitutional rights,” Warren wrote. “But separate from these judicial fights, Congress has a role to play as well.”

Warren went on to outline a plan to create federal laws that parallel the rights enshrined in Roe v. Wade. “These rights would have at least two key components. First, they must prohibit states from interfering in the ability of a health care provider to provide medical care, including abortion services. Second, they must prohibit states from interfering in the ability of a patient to access medical care, including abortion services, from a provider that offers them,” Warren wrote.

The senator then detailed proposed laws that would preemptively stop state’s efforts from blocking access to reproductive health care. “States have passed countless Targeted Regulations on Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws, which are designed to functionally limit and eliminate women’s access to abortion care while not technically contravening Roe. Geographical, physical, and procedural restrictions and requirements. Restrictions on medication abortion. These kinds of restrictions are medically-unnecessary and exist for only one purpose: to functionally eliminate the ability of women to access abortion services. A bill already proposed in Congress, The Women’s Health Protection Act, would provide the mechanism to block these kinds of schemes concocted to deny women access to care. Congress should pass it,” Warren added.

Warren also proposed repealing the Hyde Amendment, which blocks abortion coverage for women under programs like Medicaid and Veterans Affairs. “All women—no matter where they live, where they’re from, how much money they make, or the color of their skin—are entitled to access the high-quality, evidence-based reproductive health care that is envisioned by Roe. Making that a reality starts with repealing the Hyde Amendment, Warren wrote. “Congress should also expand culturally- and linguistically-appropriate services and information and include immigrant women in conversations about coverage and access. Congress must also pass the EACH Woman Act, which would also prohibit abortion restrictions in private insurance. And we should ensure that all future health coverage—including Medicare for All—includes contraception and abortion coverage.”

Warren made clear this is just the beginning of her plans to help protect women’s reproductive rights. “Securing a federal right to Roe and ensuring that reproductive health care is available to every woman in America is just the beginning. We must undo the current Administration’s efforts to undermine women’s access to reproductive health care – including ending Trump’s gag rule and fully support Title X family planning funding. We must crack down on violence at abortion clinics and ensure that women are not discriminated against at work or anywhere else for the choices they made about their bodies,” she wrote.

With this plan, Warren joins Senator Kirsten Gillibrand as one of the few presidential candidates to share a comprehensive strategy for protecting the right to an abortion. Voters, it seems, are on their side. A 2018 Wall Street Journal/NBC poll found that over 70 percent of American voters believe that Roe should not be overturned, and even a majority of Republicans think the law should stand.



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All the States That Have Recently Passed Extreme Abortion Legislation


On Thursday (May 16), the Missouri Senate voted to pass legislation that bans abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, even in cases of rape, incest, or human trafficking. Doctors who perform the procedure could face up to 15 years in prison. The bill still needs to pass the Missouri House of Representatives, but it is expected to do so and will then go to Governor Mike Parson, who has indicated he will sign it into law.

“My administration will execute the laws the legislature passes, and this pro-life administration will not back down,” he told reporters Wednesday evening, according to the Kansas City Star.

That makes Missouri the latest state to pass a bill positioned to challenge Roe v. Wade—the Supreme Court case that established a woman’s right to an abortion in 1973—in the courts after Georgia and Alabama passed similar bills earlier this week.

Here’s a breakdown of all the states with recent restrictive abortion legislation.

Missouri

The bill on the docket in Missouri contains a “trigger” provision that will ban abortion outright if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, which legalized a woman’s right to the procedure without undue government interference nationwide. It also contains additional restrictions that would remain in effect if the two-month threshold were thrown out by the courts, as has happened in other states.

“Politicians are putting the health and lives of Missouri women at risk in their race to make our state the one that overturns Roe v. Wade at the Supreme Court,” M’Evie Mead, director of policy and organizing for Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri, said in a statement. “These bans on safe, legal abortion will have real costs—expensive legal costs and human costs for the women and families who need reproductive health care.”

Alabama

Yesterday (May 15), Alabama governor Kay Ivey signed into law an abortion bill that would outlaw the procedure as soon as the moment of conception with exceptions only if the mother’s health is at risk. An amendment that would have carved out additional exceptions for cases of rape and incest failed. Under this law, doctors could face up to 99 years in prison if they performed an abortion and could be sentenced to up to 10 years for even attempting to administer one.

“Today, I signed into law the Alabama Human Life Protection Act, a bill that was approved by overwhelming majorities in both chambers of the Legislature,” Governor Ivey said in a statement. “To the bill’s many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God.” Read more about it here.

Georgia

Earlier in May, Georgia’s so-called heartbeat bill was signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp, banning abortions starting at the moment when doctors can detect a fetal heartbeat, around six weeks postconception. At that point many women do not yet know they are pregnant. (The previous law in Georgia allowed abortions up to 20 weeks.) Exceptions are allowed to prevent harm to the woman and in cases of rape or incest in which a police report has been filed. The new bill also criminalizes the procedure itself, which means that a woman who terminates her pregnancy could face life in prison or even the death penalty.

“Our job is to do what is right, not what is easy,” Kemp said. “We are called to be strong and courageous, and we will not back down.”



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In Alabama, These 25 Men Voted for the Most Restrictive Abortion Ban in America


This week Alabama passed the most restrictive abortion ban in America, outlawing the procedure from the moment of conception onward. There are no exceptions for cases of rape or incest, with a lone allowance made for instances in which a woman’s health is at risk. As Glamour has reported, doctors who administer an abortion could be prosecuted and face up to 99 years in prison. One headline summed it up well: “Under Alabama’s Abortion Ban, Doctors Who Perform Abortions on Rape Victims Could Get More Prison Time Than Rapists.” The article goes on to explain that even doctors who just attempt to administer one could be sentenced to up to 10 years behind bars.

So who voted to strip women of their reproductive freedom, a right that has been enshrined in our law at the national level since 1973? Well, in Alabama, the antichoice movement has a look. All 25 state senators who voted for the bill are Republican white men; there are just four women in the chamber and all of them are Democrats, who opposed the bill.

This means that despite widespread support for Roe v. Wade nationwide and in both parties, just over two dozen men have voted for a bill whose explicit purpose is to challenge the Supreme Court decision. In other words, 25 men who will never need this procedure (but who can, of course, put a woman in a position where she might need one) have limited the medical options available to 51 percent of the population. The lopsidedness of this equation was not lost to people on social media, some of whom pointed out that just nine women have ever served in the Alabama state senate.

Here are the names of the senators who’ve decided that, in Alabama, women don’t deserve the right to make their own health care decisions: Greg Albritton, Gerald H. Allen, Will Barfoot, Tom Butler, Clyde Chambliss, Donnie Chesteen, Chris Elliott, Sam Givhan, Garlan Gudger, Andrew Jones, Steve Livingston, Del Marsh, Jim McClendon, Tim Melson, Arthur Orr, Randy Price, Greg Reed, Dan Roberts, Clay Scofield, David R. Sessions, Shay Shelnutt, Larry Collins Stutts, James Thomas “Jabo” Waggoner, Cam Ward, and Jack Williams.

It should be noted that the bill will now head to Alabama’s female governor, Kay Ivey, who has not commented on the law but who is antichoice. If she signs it, it could take effect within six months. Women, and white women in particular, have of course supported antichoice legislation. But no matter what Gov. Ivey decides to do, the optics of the bill at this point are impossible to ignore.



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Alabama Governor Has Signed the Nation's Most Restrictive Abortion Ban Into Law


Republican Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed into law an abortion bill that would outlaw the procedure as soon as the moment of conception. The only exception to the ban would be for women whose health is at risk. Additionally, doctors who perform the procedure could be punished with life in prison. The bill was passed by 25, Republican male state senators. There are only four women in the chamber—all of whom are Democrats—and they all opposed the bill.

Prior to signing the bill Governor Ivey had not commented on the law, though her pro-life stance was known. After the signing, she released the following statement regarding her decision.

“Today, I signed into law the Alabama Human Life Protection Act, a bill that was approved by overwhelming majorities in both chambers of the Legislature,” Governor Ivey wrote. “To the bill’s many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God.”

Governor Ivey also went on to discuss that while the new bill is likely to be unenforceable due to to Roe v Wade, their overall aim is to challenge that very decision.

“No matter one’s personal view on abortion, we can all recognize that, at least for the short term, this bill may similarly be unenforceable,” Governor Ivey added. “As citizens of this great country, we must always respect the authority of the U.S. Supreme Court even when we disagree with their decisions. Many Americans, myself included, disagreed when Roe v. Wade was handed down in 1973. The sponsors of this bill believe that it is time, once again, for the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur.”

This bill could now potentially go into effect within the next six months.

Read more about how you can help women in states with extreme abortion bans, here.



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