What We're Reading - October 9
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Good morning, everyone! The race between Obama and Romney continues to grow tighter as we are only 28 days away from Election Day. Here’s what we’re reading this morning…
Letting Colorado voters know, Mitt Romney would turn back the clock. “Planned Parenthood PAC Buys Denver Ads”—“Planned Parenthood Votes, a pro-choice super PAC linked to Planned Parenthood, has bought $800,000 of television air time in the swing state of Colorado to run advertisements against Mitt Romney. The Republican presidential candidate has said this year that he would like to see the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade overturned, and that he would ‘get rid of’ Planned Parenthood. He has questioned the federal funding going to Planned Parenthood, which President Barack Obama supports. The advertisement, running for two weeks in the Denver area, is called ‘Mitt Romney would turn back the clock.’ The ad is similar to one running in Virginia, with clips of him speaking against Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood.”
On the November ballot in Florida is a dangerous amendment that could roll back women’s rights. “Abortion issue raises privacy concerns in Florida”—“TALLAHASSEE — More than a year before the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the federal health care act, Republican legislators put two constitutional amendments on the Florida ballot designed to keep portions of it from going into effect in the state. Amendment 1 would ban government from forcing people to buy health insurance. But the Supreme Court ruling this summer upholding the ‘individual mandate’ renders that measure almost irrelevant, as federal law usually overrides state law, according to most experts. The other proposal, Amendment 6 on the Nov. 6 ballot, would bar the spending of public money for abortions. If approved by the 60 percent of voters required of all constitutional amendments in Florida, it may have far-reaching effects not only on abortion rights but, some critics fear, on privacy rights in general….’There is no question that if this amendment passes, women’s reproductive rights, women’s general health rights will be severely diminished,’ Silber said. The term ‘abortion’ could be construed to mean some forms of contraception, such as the morning-after pill, Silber said. ‘I’m fearful that once we start encroaching upon constitutional rights, it could really affect women’s health. I don’t think the voters fully understand that,’ he said.”
A referendum in Montana could restrict women’s access to a safe and legal abortion. “Planned Parenthood [Advocates of Montana] warns against abortion referendum”—“MISSOULA, Mont. - Representatives for Planned Parenthood of Montana said a legislative referendum on the November ballots that restricts abortion for minors could put teenage girls in danger. LR-120 requires parental notification at least 48 hours before an abortion procedure can be performed on females under 16-years-old. The referendum includes exceptions if a medical emergency requires the abortion, or if youth court waives parental notification in a sealed hearing. If it’s passed, doctors and clinics that violate the law could face criminal charges. Stacey Anderson, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of Montana, said her organization supports parental involvement in a teenager’s decision to get an abortion. ‘We really feel that, while most Montana parents are doing a good job talking to their teens, there's a couple of teens every year where this would really put them in harm's way,’ said Anderson. ‘Young people come from abusive homes, sometimes a family member is involved in abuse, and LR-120 says we have to talk to the parent first, before we talk to the teen and possibly involve law enforcement.’”
