By Peter Pinedo
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 8, 2024 / 13:56 pm
Here’s a roundup of pro-life-related developments in the U.S. this week.
New York Planned Parenthood scales back abortion
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY) announced on Wednesday that “amid compounding financial and political challenges” it will stop offering abortions after 20 weeks.
The abortion giant also announced a proposed closure of four locations in Goshen, Amsterdam, Cobleskill, and Staten Island.
Among the reasons cited by the abortion business was a state budget that “fell short of responding to the needs of sexual and reproductive health care providers.”
Other reasons listed were growing operating expenses, unreliable insurer reimbursements, ongoing pandemic recovery, and a “hostile political landscape.”
The pause on abortions past 20 weeks will go into effect on Sept. 3. It is temporary, according to the announcement. Planned Parenthood said that it “simply cannot afford” the deep sedation pain management services necessary for late-term abortions.
Planned Parenthood said that it is “fully committed to resuming procedural abortion later in pregnancy in the near future.”
Wendy Stark, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, said the abortion business is “in the difficult position of navigating financial challenges that are part of the overarching health care crisis in the United States.”
She said PPGNY will “continue to make long-term investments in our future and for reproductive freedom by advocating for higher reimbursement rates from Medicaid and private insurers.”
Abortion is currently legal in New York through all nine months of pregnancy.
Arizona Supreme Court to decide if abortion amendment is too misleading
Arizona Judge Melissa Julian at the Maricopa County Superior Court this week rejected an attempt to invalidate a broad abortion amendment set to be on the November ballot.
Arizona Right to Life (AZRTL) has said it will appeal the ruling to the Arizona Supreme Court, meaning the state’s high court will have the final say on whether the abortion amendment will be included on the ballot.
The pro-life group is suing to have the amendment removed from the ballot, arguing that the language used in the proposal is “misleading” and fails to provide an adequate explanation of what the amendment would do if passed.
AZRTL is also arguing that Arizona for Abortion Access, the group that gathered the 823,685 signatures to have the amendment added to the ballot, misled signees about what the amendment would do.
(Story continues below)
The group claims that it has received “many texts and calls” from people who “wanted to retract their signatures” after learning that the amendment would enshrine a right to abortion both before and after fetal viability.
This comes as the Arizona Supreme Court issued a separate order on Aug. 5 to delay until Sept. 23 the enforcement of the state’s law protecting life from conception.
The Arizona Supreme Court is also set to rule on Arizona for Abortion Access’ request to remove the term “unborn human being” from the state-approved amendment explainer.
If passed, the Arizona abortion amendment would ban state laws protecting unborn life before viability or after viability if determined necessary to protect the life or health of the mother. Abortion is currently legal in Arizona until 15 weeks of pregnancy.
1 in 5 abortions administered through telehealth
A new report by the pro-abortion Society of Family Planning found that nearly 1 in 5 abortions are administered via remote telehealth appointments and mail-order abortion pills.
The report said that despite several states enacting pro-life laws, the overall national monthly abortion volume has increased. This rise has been spurred in part by a continued increase in telehealth abortions.
The report said that in the most recent months in the study period, October through December 2023, there was a national average of nearly 17,000 telehealth abortions per month, with 5,800 occurring in states with laws protecting life at conception or six weeks and 2,000 occurring in states with restrictions on telehealth abortion.
South Dakota Supreme Court allows challenge to abortion amendment to proceed
The Supreme Court of South Dakota reversed a lower court’s ruling to allow a challenge to a broad abortion amendment to proceed.
Judge John Pekas of the Second Judicial Circuit Court of South Dakota had dismissed the lawsuit, which was brought on by a pro-life group called Life Defense Fund.
However, after the Life Defense Fund appealed, the state Supreme Court brought new life to the suit by reversing the dismissal and sending the case back to lower court for further proceedings.
South Dakota currently protects unborn life starting at conception and allows abortion only when the mother’s life is at risk.
If passed, the amendment would change the state constitution to ban any restrictions on abortion if the mother’s life or health is in danger as well as ban any restrictions in the first trimester and most restrictions in the second trimester.
