I’ve had voting rights on my mind more than women’s issues this week, though of course the two are connected — if the connection isn’t clear to you, think Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett. And here in Arizona, Kyrsten Sinema has rather eclipsed other news, so I don’t have much to say to introduce this week’s diary.
I read mysteries, especially those by women writers, and Elizabeth George is one of the best. It’s been several years since her last Thomas Lynley novel, so I read her new one, Something to Hide, as soon as it came out. I mention it here because it’s about female genital mutilation in the Nigerian community in London. Like all her novels, it’s complex and about many related issues — George writes novels that are mysteries rather than mystery novels. And I maintain that Barbara Havers is one of the most interesting female characters anywhere.
Anyway, here’s some of this week’s news. Thanks as always to the WoW crew, this week especially SandraLLAP and mettle fatigue.
Abortion
Today is the 49th anniversary of Roe v Wade.
Texas sues to recover $10 million Medicaid payments from Planned Parenthood, the latest step in its ongoing attempt to bar PP from receiving Medicaid funds.
www.texastribune.org/…
A New Hampshire bill would give men claiming paternity to stop a woman from having an abortion.
jezebel.com/…
Arizona Republicans introduce a Texas-style anti-abortion law. This would make us the seventh state to do so.
www.huffpost.com/…
On the other hand, a California bill was introduced that would prohibit enforcement of findings from other states’ Texas style anti-abortion laws.
AB 1666, as introduced, Bauer-Kahan. Abortion: civil actions.
Existing law provides that every individual possesses a fundamental right of privacy with respect to their personal reproductive decisions. Existing law prohibits the state from denying or interfering with the right to choose or obtain an abortion before the fetus is viable, or when the abortion is necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant person. Existing law requires an abortion to be performed by a specified licensed or certified health care provider, and prohibits an abortion from being performed on a viable fetus if continuation of the pregnancy did not pose a risk to the life or health of the pregnant person.
The United States Constitution generally requires a state to give full faith and credit to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state. Existing law sets forth procedures by which a person may enforce a judgment for the payment of money issued by the court of a state other than California.
This bill would declare another state’s law authorizing a civil action against a person who receives or seeks, performs or induces, or aids or abets the performance of an abortion, or who attempts or intends to engage in those actions, to be contrary to the public policy of this state. The bill would prohibit the application of that law to a case or controversy heard in state court, and would prohibit the enforcement or satisfaction of a civil judgment received under that law. The bill would declare these provisions to be severable.
Here is a Daily Kos petition to Keep Abortion Within Reach:
actionnetwork.org/...
Other Items of Interest
Microsoft purchase of Activision Blizzard won’t clean up gamer culture overnight: 5 essential reads about sexual harassment and discrimination in gaming and tech.
theconversation.com/…
Candice Marie Benbow interview: Red Lip Theology
religionnews.com/…